Old River Control Structure

The Old River Control Structure was built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at the confluence of the Mississippi and Atchafalaya Rivers in order to maintain the water distribution between the two at 70% and 30% respectively. This was down in response to the increasing amounts of water from the Mississippi that was flowing into the Atchafalaya due to its steeper course to the Gulf of Mexico. The floodgate system was completed in 1963.