Taming the Mississippi River

Engineers use levees, floodways, dams, and much more to control the ever restless Mississippi.

Image of the Day Land Water Human Presence

Low Water on the Mississippi Causes Barge Backup

The drought of 2012 reduced traffic to one towboat at a time; groundings closed parts of the river for hours to days.

Image of the Day Human Presence Remote Sensing Water Color

Mississippi River Well Below Normal

Coming off of the extreme floods of 2011, the river was approaching historic lows in the summer of 2012 near Memphis and along much of its lower reaches.

Image of the Day Land Drought

Morganza Floodway after Five Days of Flow

The ASTER instrument on NASA’s Terra satellite captured this false-color image of the Morganza Floodway on May 18, 2011.

Image of the Day Land Floods

Flooding in Memphis

Acquired May 10, 2011, and April 21, 2010, these natural-color images show flooded and normal conditions along the Mississippi River in Memphis, Tennessee.

Image of the Day Land Floods Human Presence

Lay of the Land Between Old River and the Mississippi

This model of the land elevation between the Mississippi, the Atchafalaya, and the Old River show the uphill fight to control river flow.

Image of the Day Land Floods Human Presence

Flooding on the Lower Mississippi Continues

Much of the Lower Mississippi River was flooded in March.

Water Floods Remote Sensing

Mississippi Meanders

Image of the Day Land

Waters Spread Across Floodway above Morgan City

In this false-color image of the flood plains above Morgan City, Louisiana, there are tell-tale signs of floodwater from the Morganza Spillway.

Image of the Day Land Floods

Lower Mississippi River Remains Swollen

Acquired June 1, 2011, and May 28, 2010, these false-color images compare conditions along the Lower Mississippi River.

Land Floods

Floodwaters Retreat from Birds Point-New Madrid Floodway

Acquired May 3, 2011, and June 4, 2011, these natural-color images show the Birds Point-New Madrid Floodway after the floodway was opened, and after flood waters receded.

Land Floods

Meandering Mississippi River

The wandering river is a boon to farming, but it has no interest in state borders.

Image of the Day Land Human Presence

Water in the Morganza Floodway

Acquired May 18, 2011, and May 4, 2011, these false-color images show flooded conditions along the Lower Mississippi River, including diverted water entering the Morganza Floodway on May 18.

Floods