The area your boat is in, is the most beautiful part of the Mississippi.
On the Mississippi just stay between the buoys, that is the channel and is
11ft deep minimum.
Going up river, green buoy to the right.
Once you are used to the river, you can venture off the channel.
All kinds of sand to pull up onto and spend the night or longer (free).

I'm on the Missouri River along Iowa regularly during the Summer. On
our side of the state it is Red Buoy on the Right when heading
upstream. Green to the left. Same with the channel markers on shore.
There are definitely some places on the river where you don't want to
get it wrong or you're going to end up on the rocks. The river channel
is your roadway. Venturing out of the channel on a regular basis
(especially in new territory) is a recipe for disaster. I regularly
see boaters cutting to the inside of a bend and it makes me cringe
every time. There will always be 2 or 3 news reports during the Summer
of a boater who rammed a rock dike and was killed.

Here are some references I pulled on river navigation and safety:

http://www.boat-ed.com/mo/course/p3-7_navaidsbuoys.htm

http://www.nwk.usace.army.mil/lewisa...SafetyTips.pdf

Scott