The Mississippi River and Tributaries project was authorized by the 1928 Flood Control Act.  In the wake of the devastating 1927 flood, it was deemed necessary to put into place a comprehensive, unified system of public works within the lower Mississippi Valley that would provide unprecedented flood risk management and an equally efficient navigation channel.

The MR&T project has four major features:

These features work together to provide flood risk management and navigation, and foster environmental protection and enhancement.