VICKSBURG, Miss. – An 800-pound dart-shaped instrument is the latest tool to map beneath the surface of levees in a partnership between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Vicksburg District and the U.S. Geological Survey. For the first time, a regional geophysical survey will provide a full overview of 800 miles of the Mississippi River mainline levees. Sometimes called a bird, the frequency domain system suspended from a helicopter will use frequency technology similar to LiDAR to differentiate between various soil layers and penetrate about 150 feet under the surface.

The revetment mission is about to get an upgrade. Armor 1 is a state-of-the-art piece of machinery that will make the task of fortifying the banks of the Mississippi River safer and more efficient than ever. Replacing the nearly 70-year-old Mat Sinking Unit, Armor 1 will revolutionize the way that we manage the mighty Mississippi.

VICKSBURG, Miss. – The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS); U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Mississippi Valley Division; and USACE Vicksburg District hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony for a pilot Groundwater Transfer and Injection Project near Shellmound, Mississippi, June 8. The ceremony was held at the project site and included remarks from Archie Tucker, USDA-ARS, Southeast Area Director; Maj. Gen. Diana Holland, USACE Mississippi Valley Division Commanding General; Col. Robert Hilliard, USACE Vicksburg District Commander; Chris Wells, Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, Executive Director and Governor's Delta Sustainable Water Resources Task Force; Dr. Daniel Wren, USDA-ARS, Civil Engineer; and Dr. James R. Rigby, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

The Yazoo Area Pump Project is a part of the Yazoo Basin, Yazoo Backwater, Mississippi, Project, which was authorized by the Flood Control Act of 1941. The pump project is the only feature that remains unconstructed. The USACE Vicksburg District is committed to developing sustainable solutions to flooding in the South Delta.

The National Levee Database is a public view into the information that builds understanding of the benefits and potential risks levees pose for the communities in which they exist.