Oil and water don’t mix. Most of us learned that in elementary school science class, but when the Mississippi River was near its peak, few of us ever gave that simple lesson much thought.

As the river levels have receded from their highs and much of the cleanup is either completed or under way, some of the flood’s lesser-known impacts are becoming clear.

The area’s local energy industry mostly was spared from damage during the flood, but the floodwater did affect some oil production wells.

Several wells remain offline today, months after the river hit flood stage this spring.

The river’s impact on the production underscores the importance of the energy industry in our community.

From large exploration operations and drillers to independent producers and including all of the support industries that service those businesses, the petroleum industry is a vital part of our area’s economy.

Our community is lucky to have the oil and gas industry in our area as it provides diversity to our economy. The industry employs many people and provides hundreds of thousands of tax dollars for our community each year.

The Miss-Lou is extremely lucky that the impact of the flood on our community has been relatively small in the grand scheme of things.

We hope all of the oil well owners who were knocked off line will be able to resume production soon.