The plan of improvement consists of stabilizing the banks of the Mississippi River to a desirable alignment and obtaining the most efficient flow characteristics for flood control and navigation by means of revetments , dikes , and dredging .
All work is programmed.
Part of the tremendous energy of this volume of flowing water is directed toward a relentless attack on the banks of the river, causing the unprotected banks to cave into the river. As this caving progresses, the attack becomes more direct, the bendway moves in toward the levee, and more sand is placed in the river and deposited downstream in the form of a sandbar. This bar gradually builds out into the channel and deflects the river's attack to the opposite bank. As the cycle is repeated, the river tends to meander and lengthen. Revetment is placed against the banks of the river at locations where mainline levees are being threatened with destruction or where unsatisfactory alignment and channel conditions are developing.