Lower Mississippi Valley Floods of 1982 and 1983

Abstract

The 1982–83 floods on the main stem and tributaries of the Middle and Lower Mississippi River spanned a six‐month period from December, 1982–June, 1983. The flood season was initially marked by three tributary‐centered events followed by a main stem flood on the Lower Mississippi during April, May, and early June. The prolonged period of high water included flash, general, and backwater flooding that prompted requests for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers assistance from states, communities, levee boards, and other local interests. The floods posed a host of difficult challenges for the Lower Mississippi Valley Division and Mississippi River Commission (LMVD/MRC) of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The task of managing the floods was compounded by the scope and complexity of the nation's largest flood control system. In addition to responding to requests for floodfight assistance, the LMVD/MRC was heavily involved in maintaining navigation, monitoring weather and, hydrological data, insuring the integrity of the levee system, as well as operating reservoirs, pumping plants, the Old River Control Structures, and the Bonnet Carre Floodway. The performance of the Mississippi River and Tributaries Project and elements of the is LMVD program justified public investments in a reliable flood control system in the Middle and Lower Mississippi basins.