The lower Mississippi River flood protection is more than just super levees. It also has an emergency back up plan, floodways. The Corps has not had to use that back up plan much, but this week they breached the Birds Point levee, which is all part of the back up plan.
There is a long history here; it goes back to when Cairo was a much bigger town.
The Corps has put up a history which is quite interesting, check it out:
http://www.mvm.usace.army.mil/publicaffairs/News/press_releases/bpnm/BPNM_paper.pdf
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Filed under: 2011 Flood, Flood, Lower Mississippi River
