The US Army Corps of Engineers on the Mississippi River

For hundreds of years, the Mississippi River has delivered incredible benefits, but near-annual flooding and poor navigation required continual improvements. Starting in 1824, the US Army Corps of Engineers worked to develop solutions to these problems. Since 1879, it has participated in the Mississippi River Commission, responsible for reengineering the river and its tributaries. These historical photographs capture 200 years of federal, state, and local engineers working together to implement engineering solutions spanning Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Louisiana. Their efforts included snag removal, dredging, bank grading, cutoffs, and revetment and construction of levees, dikes, controlled outlets, reservoirs, and freshwater diversions.