Old River Control Structure

High school (ages 12+)
Environment & Earth

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/old-river-control-structure

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. When was the Old River Control Structure built?1963
2. What is the location?Central Louisiana, USA, on a bifurcation point of the Mississippi River
3. Why was the Old River Control Structure built?It was built to stop the Mississippi from moving its main flow into the shorter, steeper Atchafalaya channel, which could damage towns and businesses downstream.
4. How does the Old River Control Structure work?It has low-sill and overbank parts that control water flow, and an extra structure was added after the 1973 flood to handle big floods. It also has a lock for boats and a hydroelectric station that makes electricity.

Geomorphology: The study of the Earth's landforms and the processes that shape them.
Hydraulic Engineering: The branch of engineering dealing with the movement, distribution, and management of water.
Bifurcation: The division of something into two branches or parts.