Mississippi River Commission

Did you know that the Office of the President of the Mississippi River Commission used to be in New York City? Please check out our newest "Dredging Up the Past" by MRC historian, Brian R., in the below article! #history #MRC #NewYorkCity #StLouis #Vicksburg #floodcontrol #navigation

Waterways Experiment Station established in Vicksburg under the Mississippi River Commission Did you know that the Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) in Vicksburg was originally under the Mississippi River Commission? Following the 1927 Flood, Congress authorized the MR&T Project, the largest flood control and navigation project in the nation’s history. Congress also directed the Chief of Engineers to establish a hydraulics lab to study the Mississippi River and to aid in the development and construction of the MR&T Project. At that time, the Mississippi River Commission was still headquartered in St. Louis, Mo., and discussions were underway as to where the Commission’s new headquarters should be located. Initially, Memphis, Tenn., looked to be the front runner for both the Commission’s new headquarters and the hydraulics lab, but on November 16, 1929, Chief of Engineers Lytle Brown issued the order to establish the Waterways Experiment Station (WES) in Vicksburg. Shortly thereafter the Commission moved its headquarters downriver to Vicksburg. In time, WES would evolve from a hydraulics lab to study the lower Mississippi River into the premier engineer research lab for the entire U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, applying the knowledge gained from studying the Mississippi River to engineering challenges throughout the world. But it all began 95 years ago in Vicksburg with a hydraulics lab under the Mississippi River Commission. ??? Thanks to our MRC historian, Brian R., for more nuggets of history! #history #MRC #ERDC U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC)

Check out our newest "Dredging Up the Past" post by esteemed MRC historian, Brian R., detailing the modern evolution of the Lower Mississippi River and the Mississippi River and Tributaries project! "The Master Plan" On October 27, 1965, Congress authorized a new master plan for the MR&T project. The plan was the product of more than a decade of research on the lower Mississippi River as described in the six-volume study published as House Document 308. The Mississippi River Commission, under President Maj. Gen. John Hardin, oversaw the study and published its main reports and recommendations in the mid-to-late 1950s. The Commission’s recommendations would go on to serve as the basis for the new master plan. The MR&T project had changed much since Congress authorized the “Jadwin Plan” in 1928. Cut-offs shortened the Mississippi 170 miles; the closure of Old River and the construction of the Old River Control Structure managed the flow distribution between the Mississippi and Atchafalaya Rivers; tributary basins now included headwater reservoirs, interior drainage improvements, and backwater protection; and the floodways through southeast Arkansas and northeast Louisiana had been eliminated. In short, the Jadwin Plan had evolved into the comprehensive Mississippi River and Tributaries project. The new plan also required a new project design flood and flowline as well as a new comprehensive master plan for its management. This master plan remains in place to this day. In 2020, Congress authorized the Mississippi Valley Division to undertake a five-year, $25 million mega study, the largest such study of the lower Mississippi River since the 1965 comprehensive review.

The story of FLOOD CONTROL in the lower Valley is incredible - join us for a short read by MRC resident historian, Brian R., in this is edition of "Dredging Up The Past." William Whittington: “Mr. Flood Control” William Whittington was first elected to Congress in 1924 to serve as the representative of the Third Mississippi District. Three years later, the most devastating flood in the nation’s history struck the lower Mississippi valley. Following the 1927 flood, Whittington quickly became one of the most active proponents of a comprehensive plan for flood control for the lower Mississippi valley. Whittington served on the House Flood Control Committee when various plans were presented to Congress. Ultimately, it was up to Congress to authorize a plan, and Congress chose the plan of Chief of Engineers Edgar Jadwin. Whittington was the committee’s mastermind behind drafting the “Jadwin Plan” into a bill that would be acceptable to the people of the valley and the Nation. Whittington’s role in writing the bill would earn him the nickname “Mr. Flood Control.” Over the next two decades, he would do even more to solidify his reputation as Mr. Flood Control. Virtually every piece of flood control legislation throughout the Mississippi valley and throughout the nation was authored by Whittington between 1928 and his retirement in 1951. The advocacy of Whittington is one of the primary reasons Congress expanded the “Jadwin Plan” to include protection for tributary basins, including the flood protection projects in the Yazoo Basin. Whittington’s support for flood control is an enduring legacy that can still be seen today across the lower Mississippi valley in MR&T Project.

Important update for our Spring 2025 Inspection Trip, we will be holding 4 public meetings across the week of March 31st - April 3rd, 2025. Details below, please mark your calendars!

Listening, Inspecting, Engineering, and PARTNERING: During the 249th Anniversary of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mississippi Valley Division Awards Day, Memphis District’s Danny Ward received the inaugural Sam E. Angel Partnership Award. The award is named after Sam E. Angel, the longest serving member of the Mississippi River Commission. The award is so named in honor of former commissioner Honorable Sam E. Angel, the award recognizes Mississippi Valley Division or its district employees who sustained superior dedication to working with local partners towards the prosecution of the Mississippi River and Tributaries (MR&T) project or any Corps of Engineers project along the Mississippi River. In the photo, Mr. Ward is surrounded by Angel’s children and Stephen Gambrell (far right) who received the Distinguished Civilian Employee Award. Gambrell is the former director of the Mississippi River Commission. Congratulations, Danny Ward, we're so proud of all you have and will continue to accomplish for the MR&T. Read more on our website: https://lnkd.in/g8YhHY4j

The proceedings of our 410th and 411th Inspection Trips are now available! This document is a summary of the site visits, testimony, and partnership we were so fortunate to conduct during our low and high water inspection trips. There were a number of trends the Commission identified - from levee slides and other maintenance items along the Mississippi River Levees, to persistent concerns over low water threatening our inland waterways. Please read and share - the proceedings are a reflection of the people and partners we work with every day to deliver FLOOD CONTROL and NAVIGATION along the Mississippi River. #history #democracy #proceedings #MRC #MRL #MississippiRiver #navigation #floodcontrol

Another great "Dredging Up the Past" by Brian R., please read on to learn about the evolution of the early MR&T project! 'John Overton and the MR&T: A Legacy of Resilience and Innovation': As the Commission prepares for its Fall Congressional visits, we highlight one of the Congressional giants who advocated for the expansion and completion of the MR&T. John Overton got to see firsthand the devastation caused by the Great Flood of 1927. Just four years later took his seat in Congress and began advocating for the MR&T so that the people of Louisiana, and the entire lower Mississippi valley, would never have to endure such devastation and suffering again. Two years later, Overton was elected to the U.S. Senate, a seat he held until his death in 1948. For 12 years, Overton served as the President of the Mississippi Valley Flood Control Association and held a seat on the Senate Commerce Committee, which included the Subcommittee on Flood Control. During that time, Overton sponsored the first bill modifying and expanding the MR&T project to the tributary basins. The 1936 Flood Control Act, more commonly referred to in the valley as the “Overton Act,” authorized flood control reservoirs in the Yazoo (Arkabutla, Sardis, Enid and Grenada) and St. Francis (Wappapello) basins, and took the first step towards eliminating the floodway through northeast Louisiana by replacing the Boeuf Floodway with the smaller Eudora Floodway. The act also authorized backwater flood protection for the White River, the first expansion of the MR&T’s protection into backwater areas. The law was a brilliant piece of compromise legislation in which the politicians and people of the valley set aside rivalries and came together to address some of their concerns with the Jadwin Plan. Overton continued to be a staunch advocate for flood control with his support of the 1941 Flood Control Act, which further expanded the MR&T’s flood protection into the tributary basins, authorizing protection for the Yazoo and Red backwater areas and eliminating the Eudora Floodway, which would have flooded 820,000 acres in northeast Louisiana. Setting aside their differences and working together for the common good, Overton and the various other politicians who were staunch advocates for flood control ensured that the people of the valley would never have to experience devastation and suffering like they did in 1927 ever again. #MR&T #Overton #FloodControl #Navigation #MRC

It takes a strong team to support this Commission - meet our public affairs official, Ms. Nikki Noble seen in the picture below receiving the Chief of Engineer's coin (LTG Scott Spellmon) from Mr. Chris Augsberger, Chief of Public Affairs at USACE Headquarters! This was presented for her unwavering support to the Mississippi River Commission and the Mississippi Valley Division and providing exemplary services in the field of public affairs. She's a great teammate and an even better person - well deserved recognition! Congratulations, Nikki!

The Mississippi River and Tributaries project PROTECTS - over 4.5M citizens live and prosper behind this system. Now, we are happy to have a video that tells the story and the history behind this great project. Please check it out over on YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gb_FQFFV #listening #inspecting #partnering #engineering #mrc