![USACE-District-Map](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e4/USACE-District-Map.jpg)
The
Mississippi Valley Division (MVD) is responsible for the Corps water resources programs within 370,000-square-miles of the
Mississippi River Valley
The Mississippi embayment is a physiographic feature in the south-central United States, part of the Mississippi Alluvial Plain. It is essentially a northward continuation of the fluvial sediments of the Mississippi River Delta to its conflu ...
, as well as the watershed portions of the
Red River of the North
The Red River (french: rivière Rouge or ) is a river in the north-central United States and central Canada. Originating at the confluence of the Bois de Sioux and Otter Tail rivers between the U.S. states of Minnesota and North Dakota, it fl ...
that are within the United States. It excludes the entire watersheds of the
Missouri River and
Ohio River
The Ohio River is a long river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing southwesterly from western Pennsylvania to its mouth on the Mississippi River at the southern tip of Illino ...
, and portions of the
Arkansas River
The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. It generally flows to the east and southeast as it traverses the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The river's source basin lies in the western United Stat ...
and the
Red River of the South
The Red River, or sometimes the Red River of the South, is a major river in the Southern United States. It was named for its reddish water color from passing through red-bed country in its watershed. It is one of several rivers with that name ...
, but otherwise encompasses the entire
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...
from
Lake Itasca
Lake Itasca is a small glacial lake, approximately in area. Located in southeastern Clearwater County, in the Headwaters area of north central Minnesota, it is notable for being the headwater of the Mississippi River. The lake is in Itasca Sta ...
, Minnesota, to the Gulf of Mexico. The division includes all or parts of 13 states: Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, Tennessee, Wisconsin, and South Dakota.
The mission of the division is to serve the Mississippi Valley region by managing the watersheds and developing collaborative engineering solutions that will reduce risks through the reduction of flood damage potential, maintain and enhance navigation, and protect, restore and enhance environmental ecosystems; while being prepared to respond to regional and national emergencies. Additionally, MVD operates hydroelectric plants within the system, is a large water and construction regulatory body, and maintains over 1.9 million acres for recreation. MVD, and specifically the New Orleans District, is responsible for the design and construction of the
Hurricane & Storm Damage Risk Reduction System
The greater New Orleans Hurricane & Storm Damage Risk Reduction System (HSDRRS) is an infrastructure systems in southern Louisiana which seeks to provide the greater New Orleans area a 100-year level of risk reduction, meaning reduced risk from a ...
(HSDRRS) which seeks to provide 100 Year storm protection to the City of New Orleans.
Overview
![Vicksburg December 2018 24 (Mississippi Valley Division)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e3/Vicksburg_December_2018_24_%28Mississippi_Valley_Division%29.jpg)
The Mississippi Valley Division is made up of six districts, based in
St. Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul (abbreviated St. Paul) is the capital of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County. Situated on high bluffs overlooking a bend in the Mississippi River, Saint Paul is a regional business hub and the center o ...
,
Rock Island, Illinois
Rock Island is a city in and the county seat of Rock Island County, Illinois, Rock Island County, Illinois, United States. The original Rock Island, from which the city name is derived, is now called Rock Island Arsenal, Arsenal Island. The popul ...
,
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the Greater St. Louis, ...
,
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 U.S. census, Memphis is the second-mos ...
,
Vicksburg, Mississippi
Vicksburg is a historic city in Warren County, Mississippi, United States. It is the county seat, and the population at the 2010 census was 23,856.
Located on a high bluff on the east bank of the Mississippi River across from Louisiana, Vic ...
, and
.
The Division Commander is directly responsible to the
Chief of Engineers
The Chief of Engineers is a principal United States Army staff officer at The Pentagon. The Chief advises the Army on engineering matters, and serves as the Army's topographer and proponent for real estate and other related engineering programs. ...
. Within the authorities delegated, MVD Commander directs and supervises the individual District Commanders. MVD duties include preparing engineering studies and design, constructing, operating, and maintaining flood control and river and harbor facilities and installations, administering the laws on civil works activities, acquiring, managing, and disposing of real estate, and mobilization support of military, natural disaster, and national emergency operations.
Mississippi River Commission
The Mississippi River Commission was established in 1879 to facilitate improvement of the Mississippi River from the
Head of Passes
Head of Passes is where the main stem of the Mississippi River branches off into three distinct directions at its mouth in the Gulf of Mexico: Southwest Pass (Mississippi River), Southwest Pass (west), Pass A Loutre (east) and South Pass (centre). ...
near its
mouth
In animal anatomy, the mouth, also known as the oral cavity, or in Latin cavum oris, is the opening through which many animals take in food and issue vocal sounds. It is also the cavity lying at the upper end of the alimentary canal, bounded on ...
to its headwaters. The stated mission of the Commission was to develop and implement plans to correct, permanently locate, and deepen the channel of the Mississippi River, improve safety and ease of navigation, prevent destructive floods. and promote and facilitate commerce, trade, and the postal service.
[ ]
For nearly a half century, the MRC functioned as an executive body reporting directly to the U.S. Secretary of War. The
Great Mississippi Flood of 1927
The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 was the most destructive river flood in the history of the United States, with inundated in depths of up to over the course of several months in early 1927. The uninflated cost of the damage has been estimat ...
changed the mission of the MRC. The consequent
Flood Control Act of 1928
The Flood Control Act of 1928 (FCA 1928) ( 70th United States Congress, Sess. 1. Ch. 569, enacted May 15, 1928) authorized the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to design and construct projects for the control of floods on the Mississippi River and it ...
created the Mississippi River and Tributaries Project (MR&T). The act assigned responsibility for developing and implementing the Mississippi River and Tributaries Project (MR&T) to the Mississippi River Commission. The MR&T project provides for control of floods of the Mississippi River from Head of Passes to vicinity of
Cape Girardeau, Missouri
Cape Girardeau ( , french: Cap-Girardeau ; colloquially referred to as "Cape") is a city in Cape Girardeau and Scott Counties in the U.S. state of Missouri. At the 2020 census, the population was 39,540. The city is one of two principal citie ...
, control of floods of the
tributaries
A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drainage b ...
and
outlets of the Mississippi River as they are affected by its backwaters, and improvement for navigation of the Mississippi River from
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge ( ; ) is a city in and the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. Located the eastern bank of the Mississippi River, it is the parish seat of East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana's most populous parish—the equivalent of counties i ...
, to
Cairo, Illinois
Cairo ( ) is the southernmost city in Illinois and the county seat of Alexander County.
The city is located at the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. Fort Defiance, a Civil War camp, was built here in 1862 by Union General Ulysses ...
. This includes improvements to certain harbors and improvement for navigation of
Old
Old or OLD may refer to:
Places
*Old, Baranya, Hungary
*Old, Northamptonshire, England
*Old Street station, a railway and tube station in London (station code OLD)
*OLD, IATA code for Old Town Municipal Airport and Seaplane Base, Old Town, Mai ...
and
Atchafalaya River
The Atchafalaya River ( french: La Rivière Atchafalaya, es, Río Atchafalaya) is a distributary of the Mississippi River and Red River in south central Louisiana in the United States. It flows south, just west of the Mississippi River, and ...
s from the Mississippi River to
Morgan City, Louisiana
Morgan City is a small city in St. Mary and lower St. Martin parishes in the U.S. State of Louisiana. The population was 12,404 at the 2010 census. Known for being “right in the middle of everywhere”, Morgan City is located 68 miles (109&nb ...
.
![Mississippi River Commission building in Vicksburg](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/49/Mississippi_River_Commission_building_in_Vicksburg.jpg)
It also includes bank stabilization of the Mississippi River from the Head of Passes to
Cairo, Illinois
Cairo ( ) is the southernmost city in Illinois and the county seat of Alexander County.
The city is located at the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. Fort Defiance, a Civil War camp, was built here in 1862 by Union General Ulysses ...
, preservation, restoration, and enhancement of environmental resources, including but not limited to measures for fish and wildlife, increased water supplies, recreation, cultural resources, and other related water resources development programs, and semi-annual inspection trips to observe river conditions and facilitate coordination with local interests in implementation of projects. For over a century the inspections and hearings have been held aboard the
M/V ''Mississippi'' and its predecessors.
There are seven members on the commission.
The current President of the Mississippi River Commission is U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Major General Diana M. Holland. The mission is executed through the
Mississippi Valley Division Districts in St. Paul, Rock Island, St. Louis, Memphis, Vicksburg, and New Orleans.
The headquarters of the operation is in Historic Downtown Vicksburg in the Mississippi River Commission Building.
See also
*
List of locks and dams of the Upper Mississippi River
This is a list of current and former locks and dams of the Upper Mississippi River which ends at the Mississippi River's confluence with the Ohio River at Cairo, Illinois.
Locks and dams
Expansion proposals for upper Mississippi locks
The A ...
*
List of navigation authorities in the United States This List of navigation authorities in the United States is a link list for any navigation authority in the United States.
U.S. government
*United States Army Corps of Engineers
*United States Coast Guard
*United States Department of Homeland Secu ...
*
MV Mississippi
M/V ''Mississippi'' is a United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) towboat operating on the Mississippi River. It is the largest diesel towboat on the river.
Working boat
M/V ''Mississippi'' is a working towboat for the USACE Memphis Dis ...
References
External links
USACE Mississippi Valley DivisionMississippi River Commissionin the
Federal Register
The ''Federal Register'' (FR or sometimes Fed. Reg.) is the official journal of the federal government of the United States that contains government agency rules, proposed rules, and public notices. It is published every weekday, except on feder ...
{{USACE divisions
Mississippi River
Divisions of the United States Army Corps of Engineers
Water management authorities in the United States
Water law in the United States