Over the past hundred years the role of the Corps of Engineers
has gradually expanded to include responsibility for managing and maintaining the hydrological infrastructure in and around New Orleans.
The mission started after the Civil war with responsibility for navigation and flood protection throughout the Mississippi River basin. At the turn of the century and again after the 1927 Mississippi River flooding, Congress formalized and expanded this role.
In 1965 when Hurricane Betsy flooded parts of the city, the Congress assigned the Corps the responsibility to provide a Hurricane Protection System. The
1990 CWPPRA (Breaux Act) added wetlands restoration and management to the Corps list of responsibilities. Since 1995, with the introduction of the SELA Urban Flood Control Project, the Corps has the lead role in the design and operation of the rainwater pumping system.
Chronic underfunding has undermined the Corps ability to fulfill its responsibilities.
The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is made up of
approximately 34,600 civilian and 650 military members. The workforce
of biologists, engineers, geologists, hydrologists, natural resource
managers and other professionals is part of the Army that plans,
designs, builds and operates navigation, flood control and other civil
works projects.
The Mississippi Valley Division (MVD-USACE) headquartered in Vicksburg
, MS is responsible for the entire length of the Mississippi
River from St. Paul , MN , to New Orleans, LA. MVD provides
flood protection, navigation, environmental protection and enhancement,
emergency operations, work for others, and homeland security for the
Mississippi Valley region.
The Corps of Engineers maintains an outstanding
Timeline
showing the history of commerce and flood control along the Mississippi
River Basin. As you read the Corps of Engineers timeline of
developments in the
Mississippi River Division one point stands out immediately. The main
threat is the river. Controlling the river to prevent flooding and support navigation is the mission. The
Timeline stretches from 1717 to the present. In 1965 hurricane protection was added to the mission. The coastal
wetlands aren't mentioned until 1990 when someone woke up and and
realized
they had been shrinking away since the 1930's. The Land's End piece is a history of the Corps New Orleans district.