MISSISSIPPI RIVER COMMISSION 

P.O. BOX 80 

VICKSBURG, MISSISSIPPI 39181-0080 

PRESIDENT and MEMBER 

Maj. Gen. John W. Peabody 

Commander, Mississippi 

Valley Division 

Vicksburg, Mississippi 

MEMBERS 

Honorable Sam E. Angel 

Sr. Civilian 

Lake Village, Arkansas 

*Honorable R. D. James 

Civilian/Civil Engineer 

New Madrid, Missouri 

*Honorable Wm. Clifford Smith 

Civilian/Civil Engineer 

Houma, Louisiana 

*Brig. Gen. Margaret W. Burcham 

Commander, Great Lakes & 

Ohio River Division 

Cincinnati, Ohio 

*RDML Gerd F. Giang 

National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration 

Silver Spring, Maryland 

*Col. Anthony C. Funkhouser 

Commander, Northwestern 

Division 

Portland, Oregon 

SECRETARY 

Col. John C. Dvoracek 

Vicksburg, Mississippi 

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 

Mr. T. Stephen Gambrell 

Vicksburg, Mississippi 

(601) 634-5766 

Email: cemvd-ex@usace.army.mil 

Web site: www.mvd.usace.army.mil/mrc 

* * nom inee 

*designee 

M ISSISSIPPI RIVER COMMISSION 

VICKSBURG , MISSISSIPPI 

August 24, 2012 

Statement of the Mississippi River Commission 

Extreme Low-Water Condition 

Exceptional drought conditions persist across much of the 

Mississippi drainage basin. River stages threaten historic low-water 

marks just one year after the Mississippi River and Tributaries (MR& T) 

project passed the largest flood in the recorded history of the river. On 

the river gauges at Memphis, Vicksburg, ane Natchez, river fluctuations 

exceed 55 feet between the 2011 highs and the 2012 lows to date. Such 

wide variations in stages over successive years have never before been 

witnessed (enclosure). Those same fluctuations hignlight the daunting 

challenges confronting river engineers as they attempt t protect 

surrounding lands from devastating floods while balancing the waterborne commercial needs of the nation. 

The severe low-water conditions coincide with the height of the 

harvest season. A safe and reliable marine interstate system on the 

Mississippi River is an absolute necessity at this critical time when the 

nation is trying to move its bountiful agricultural product for export. Since 

June, when weather forecasts indicated low-river stages, the Corps of 

Engineers has intensively managed dredging assets, executed emergency 

dredging contracts, and closely coordinated with the U.S. Coast Guard , 

the river navigation industry, port authorities, and local, state, and federal 

partners to ensure a safe and reliable marine interstate system on the 

Mississippi River. Even with this intense effort, many small ports and 

harbors, which function as the exit and on ramps for the marine interstate 

system, remain closed or restricted because of the low water. 

If not for the timely passage of the 2011 emergency supplemental 

bill on December 23rd, which included funding to remove flood-induced 

sediment from channels, ports, and harbors, the Corps of Engineers 

would not be in a position to facilitate waterborne commerce on the 

Mississippi River without major impacts to other authorized projects 

around the nation. Without supplemental appropriations, the deep-draft 

navigation channel below Baton Rouge would have experienced 

continued restrictions, greatly affecting import and export activity along 

the nation's busiest shipping corridor. The emergency funding designed 

to help the nation recover from devastating floods is now also enabling 

the nation to maintain commerce despite extreme low-water stages. 

Since 1879, the seven-member Presidentially appointed Mississippi River Commission has developed and matured plans for the general improvement of the 

Mississippi River from the Head of Passes to the Headwaters. The Mississippi River Commission brings critical engineering representation to the drainage basin, 

which impacts 41% of the United States and includes 1.25 million square miles, over 250 tributaries, 31 states, and 2 Canadian provinces. 

Listening, Inspecting, Partnering and Engineering since 1879 
-2-

The United States is a maritime nation. As such, the Mississippi River 

Commission strives to help maintain the nation's global economic competitiveness by 

ensuring a reliable navigation channel and the commercial viability of ports and harbors, 

mitigating flood risks to enable economic activity near our waterways, protecting 

environmental habitat, and facilitating recreation. An adequate and systematic 

approach to address dredging needs, particularly at small ports and harbors on a 

regular basis, remains elusive. This commission will do all in its power to assure that 

the nation remains focused on a maritime system that provides an efficient, 

environmentally sustainable method to transport goods to market where they can feed 

the world, energize our economy, build our infrastructure, and provide essential inputs 

for economic activity. 

~ohn W. Peabody 

Major General, U.S. Army 

President, Mississippi 

River Commission 

Vicksburg, MS 

Civilian 

Ho~ Member, Engineer 

New Madrid, MO 

JrJCN;~ fAJ.73~~ 

Margaret W. Burcham 

Brigadier General, U.S. Army 

Member Designee 

Great Lakes & Ohio River Division 

Cincinnati, OH 

Anthony C. Funkhooser 

Colonel, U.S. Army 

Member Designee 

Northwestern Division 

Portland, OR 

±.:~ Senior 

Lake Village, 

Civilian 

AR 

Member 

~ 

Hon. 

d&-0 Wm.-~ Smith 

Civilian Member, Engineer 

Houma, LA 

/r~ef f. l_~ Gerd F. Giang 

Rear Admiral 

Member Designee 

National Oceanic & 

Atmospheric Administration 

Silver Spring, MD 
Low-Water Inspection Trip Report

Mississippi River Difference in River 

Elevation between 2011 

& 2012

Cape Girardeau, MO 39 feet

Cairo, IL 53 feet

N M d id MO New Madrid, MO 48 f t ee

Memphis, TN 59 feet

Vicksburg, MS 57 feet

Red River Landing, LA 50 feet

New Orleans, LA 16 feet

Listening, Inspecting, Partnering, and Engineering since 1879