Study Area The Lower Mississippi River Basin, from Cape Girardeau, Missouri, to the Gulf of Mexico. Includes the states of Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas, Missouri, Kentucky, and Illinois.Mississippi River and Tributaries Project Area. Provided by MVD as of 14FEB2019. Coastal HUC8 subbasins have been added.

PROJECT AUTHORITY: Section 213 of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2020

Authorizes the Secretary of the Army to conduct a comprehensive study of the Lower Mississippi River Basin, from Cape Girardeau, Missouri, to the Gulf of Mexico, to identify recommendations of actions to be undertaken under existing authorities, or after congressional authorization, for the comprehensive management of the basin for multiple purposes.

Section 8343 of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2022Mandates that the mega study will be 100% federally funded.

OPPORTUNITIES The Ability to Study the Mississippi River with a comprehensive perspective, including flood control, navigation, ecosystem restoration, hydropower, recreation, water supply and overall life safety, provides an unprecedented opportunity to establish the foundation for a sustainable and contemporary river system.

An important early step in the study process is consideration of the full scope of these opportunities that can be evaluated within the Lower Mississippi Comprehensive Management Study as well as those that require tiered study using existing or new authorities.

The following are examples of some of the early opportunities identified by the USACE technical team:

Maximize beneficial use of dredge material and sediment in the water column that passes through natural crevasses and engineered diversions below Mississippi River Levee system to protect the navigation channel, enhance coastal wetland restoration, and contribute to delta building.

Manage Mississippi River & Tributaries system performance for contemporary needs and adjust system in response to ongoing basin change. Evaluate tradeoffs between Flood Risk Management, Navigation, and Ecosystem Restoration priorities.

Optimize operational scenarios or the modification of existing infrastructure to re-introduce hydrologic connectivity to floodplain areas

Contact the study team:

By email at: LMRComp@usace.army.mil

By Phone at: 504-862-2201

By mail to:

USACE-MVN

LMRComp C/O Project Management

7400 Leake Ave

New Olreans, LA 70118