Since 1882, the men and women of the Memphis District have performed a dedicated service toward flood control and navigation works in the Lower Mississippi Valley. Their efforts have been a cornerstone in the development of the science of river engineering over many years of struggle with capricious whims of the mighty Mississippi River. This book attempts to establish the chronology of the District's work and to show how both successes and failures well served the early engineers in the development of sound engineering techniques. Today, the Lower Mississippi River is a giant in shackles and the nation's principal waterway. As of this writing, the massive Mississippi River and tributaries project has proven itself, protectingt the valley through three consecutive years of flooding, including the third largest ever, the mammoth 1973 flood.

:This history of the Atchafalaya Basin is an account of the transformation of an area that has endured perhaps more human manipulation than any other natural environment in the nation.