Managing the Mississippi Part 3: Land Without Levees
Approximately 40 miles south of New Orleans and on its eastern side, the Mississippi River Levee ends. This is different from just on the west side of the river where the levee extends another 30 miles southward. Because there is no levee on the eastern side, the Mississippi River is allowed to overflow its banks during the spring flood. This helps to sustain the adjacent marshes as Louisiana is seeing rapid rates of coastal land loss.