The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Vicksburg District’s Mat Sinking Unit (MSU) kicked off the 79 th annual revetment season on the Mississippi River last month.
Under the project, MSU places hundreds of thousands of articulated concrete mats, also known as revetment, along the Mississippi River to protect flood control works, prevent riverbank erosion, and provide navigable waterways for commercial transportation.
According to USACE, the unit’s work spans the jurisdictions of the Memphis, Vicksburg, and New Orleans districts and more than 950 river miles.
Vicksburg District Commander, Jeremiah Gipson , said: “ Revetment operations are essential for maintaining safe navigation for commercial traffic and reducing flood risks for communities. Protecting the Mississippi and River Tributaries levee system is vital and keeps the river on a consistent path.”
“If we don’t accomplish our mission, erosion will change the shape of the river and make it more difficult for commercial navigation while increasing flood risks to our regional towns and cities.”
The Vicksburg District encompasses a 68,000-square-mile area across portions of Mississippi, Arkansas, and Louisiana, that holds nine major river basins and incorporates approximately 460 miles of mainline Mississippi River levees.