New Orleans Is One Building Away From Losing Its River

The Mississippi has been trying to change course for seventy years. A single structure in Louisiana is the only reason it hasn't. In 1973 that structure nearly failed. This is how close it came, and what happens when it finally loses. Rivers change course roughly every thousand years. The Mississippi is overdue, and it has already chosen where it wants to go: the Atchafalaya, a shorter and much steeper route to the sea. By the 1950s almost a third of the river was already taking it. If the switch ever completes, Baton Rouge and New Orleans stop being river cities. The ports, the refineries and the industry along the lower river all depend on water that would no longer be there. Old River Control was built to hold the split at seventy thirty. It has held since 1963. It nearly did not hold in 1973. 0:00 Why the Mississippi wants to leave 0:45 Two rivers, almost touching 1:12 Big rivers don't stay put 2:23 Shreve's Cut and the Old River 3:13 The capture forecast 4:16 Congress freezes the river: 70/30 4:45 How the valve works 5:48 Scour: the hidden danger 6:36 1973: the flood that almost won 7:51 More valves 8:31 The river isn't giving up 9:28 Will the Mississippi win? This video is an independent educational documentary. It is based on the publicly available sources listed above, including public records, regulatory filings and published research. Statements about companies, agencies and public officials describe documented decisions and published findings, not allegations of personal misconduct; where the record is disputed or incomplete, the video says so. Any analysis, interpretation or conclusion is the author's opinion.