The Bonnet Carré Spillway

A view of the Bonnet Carré Spillway, which is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. In this image, floodwaters from the Mississippi River flow through from left to right into the Spillway, eventually bound for Lake Pontchartrain.

In late 2015/early 2016, unusually large rainfall in the Upper Mississippi River Valley led to flooding throughout Arkansas, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee. USGS water science centers responded to the flooding by measuring the streamflow, collecting water quality information, and providing that information to emergency responders.