About Our Association

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The Nebraska Floodplain and Stormwater Managers Association (NeFSMA) is an active organization of over 100 members representing over 50 organizations. NeFSMA pursues multiple purposes including: 1.)promote public awareness of floodplain and stormwater management; 2.) promote the professional status of floodplain and stormwater management and secure all benefits resulting there from; 3.) promote cooperation and information exchange between individuals and entities concerned with floodplain and stormwater management; 4.) keep individuals concerned with floodplain and stormwater management well informed through educational and professional seminars and to provide a method for dissemination of information, both general and technical; 5.) inform and educate concerned individuals of pending floodplain or stormwater legislation, funding and other related management matters. Please browse our website to learn more about NeFSMA at www.nefsma.net. If you are interested in joining, either contact one of the board members or complete the membership form.

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Mississippi River Tests the Old River Control Structure - Historical Comparison

How much energy do you imagine is behind Mississippi River flows of 2 million cubic feet per second - sustained for three months?  The Army Corps of Engineers is confident that it is not enough to bring down the Old River Control Structure currently preventing the River from charting a new course down the Atchafalaya River valley (which, by the way, the Mississippi would prefer to do!).  Let's hope they are correct as more than just a river diversion structure is at risk if it does not.  I encourage you to take just a couple minutes to pour over this articulate summary from Weather Underground http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/comment.html?entrynum=1801.

The graphics, history, and description of possible impacts are eye popping.  The graph in the article displayed the (now previous) 1973 record flood event by comparison and is a snapshot taken May 13, 2011.  The most current version will be found at the following link for you to observe http://www.mvn.usace.army.mil/eng/edhd/lat.gif.  At the time of this post, the 1973 event had just been exceeded and was still climbing rapidly.

Source: US Army Corps of Engineers

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