§702a–11 Morganza Floodway; Eudora Floodway

Summary

The United States, acting through the Chief of Engineers, may buy the land rights it needs and build the Morganza and Eudora floodways (including the northward extension of Eudora). The Chief may change the Morganza design and inflow, pick the Eudora location near Eudora, extend Eudora guide levees south toward Old River, and negotiate purchases or options at prices he finds reasonable. The government may acquire easements, flowage rights, rights-of-way, or full title either voluntarily or by condemnation, and may keep and lease lands it owns. Eudora’s intake must include an automatic masonry weir set so it is only overtopped when the Vicksburg gage reaches 51 feet or more. A fuseplug levee loop with at least 3 feet of freeboard may be built behind that sill to hold back flow until predicted floods exceed the river channel’s safe capacity; the Chief may order that fuseplug breached if needed to protect the main river levee. The Riverside fuseplug levee from near Yancopin south to near Vau Cluse must be rebuilt to the 1914 grade and 1928 section and connect with the 1928 levee; fuseplug levees at the head of the Atchafalaya Basin on the east side must be rebuilt to the 1928 grade and section. The government may buy flowage easements in the Atchafalaya Basin below the latitude of Krotz Springs. The Morganza floodway cannot be used until the Wax Lake outlet is operational. If the United States leases land it owns, 25% of lease receipts each year must go to the State where the land is, to help local public schools and roads, apportioned by area if the land lies in more than one State or county. Money authorized for Morganza and Eudora must not be spent for other purposes.