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USGS Data Collection Activity at the Birds Point-New Madrid Floodway
Photo Credit: Robert Holmes, USGS National Flood Specialist. |
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In response to dangerous flood levels near the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) activated the Birds
Point-New Madrid floodway at 10:03 pm on May 2, 2011 by detonating explosives along a stretch of the Mississippi River levee just downstream of
Cairo, Illinois. The resulting inflow of water into the 130,000 acre floodway caused the Ohio river level near Cairo to drop nearly 1/2 foot
during the first hour of operation. Two additional inflow/outflow breaches were initiated at 12:40 pm on May 3 and at 2:39pm on May 5. The USGS
is providing vital floodway data to the USACE and other agencies. The two photos at left show USGS boat crews near the inflow (left photo) and the
outflow (right photo) of the floodway.
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Data Collection Map:
Click the map image to open a KML file showing recent USGS measurement activities in the Birds Point-New Madrid floodway area. Users will
need a KML viewer such as Google Earth to view the map.
(References to non-U.S. Department of Interior (DOI) products do not constitute an endorsement by the DOI.)
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Additional Resources:
Corps to Repair Birds Point Levee - thesouthern.com, June 16, 2011 Mississippi River Commission: Mississippi River & Tributataries Project How Does the Mississippi River Change When
the Levee Breaks? USGS article discussing the effects of the levee breach on the Mississippi River. Birds Point Levee Explosion USGS article discussing the seismologic effects of the levee breach. Mississippi and Ohio Confluence Velocity Maps show velocity profiles near the confluence
of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers prior to and after the levee breach, including velocities across the upper breach. US Army Corps of Engineers Information Sheet describes the floodway, its origin, and the policies for its use. US Army Corps of Engineers Birds Point New Madrid Floodway Joint Information Center Facebook page CNN Interview
with Bob Holmes, hydrologist with the USGS Office of Surface Water. Corps shifts focus to East Prairie after final Birds Point breach
- May 6, 2011 Southeast Missourian News Article Timeline for Flood Crests
map produced by the USDA shows flood crest predictions by the National Weather Service as of Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Final levee breach completed in plan to stem flooding in central U.S. (provided by CNN Wire Staff, May 5, 2011)
KFVS video: A close-up look at Birds Point Levee Breach (provided by KFVS, May 7, 2011) America’s two “Great Rivers” flood at the same time - April 30, 2011 article and Photo from ValleyWatch Cairo, Illinois and the force of Nature - May 1, 2011 article and Photo from ValleyWatch
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U.S. Department of the Interior |
U.S. Geological Survey
