Birds Point-New Madrid Floodway Activated

The US Army Corps of Engineers activated the Birds Point-New Madrid floodway at approximately 10:00pm on May 2, 2011 by detonating explosives along a stretch of the Mississippi River levee just downstream of Cairo, Illinois.  The resulting inflow of water into the 200,000 acre floodway caused the river levels near Cairo to drop nearly 1/2 foot during the first hour of operation.  This photo shows water flowing from the Mississippi River into the floodway about 12 hours after the breach.  The Mississippi River is on the right, and the floodway is on the left, with the view facing north/upstream from the downstream end of the breach near Cairo.  Pictured is Robert Holmes of the USGS Office of Surface Water.