It is being called a spectacular success - but also a lost opportunity. With floodwaters rising to record levels along the Lower Mississippi river, the system of levees and spillways that protect the low-lying cities of Baton Rouge and New Orleans faced an unprecedented test. In terms of protecting human life and preventing catastrophic property damage, the defences have so far done an admirable job. "The system was designed in the 1920s," says Mike Petersen, a spokesman for the US Army Corps of Engineers, which is responsible for its management. "We owe credit to those engineers now."

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21028143.800-reshaping-the-mississippi-for-a-warmer-future.html?full=true&print=true