Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain, D.V.M., spoke to Morganza Spillway area farmers about their concerns over the Mississippi River level.

Strain pledged any and all support that the department can provide to help farmers in their fight to hold back the water.

“We are looking at a dire situation right now, the water is already more than a foot up the sandbags that were placed last week,” Strain said. “With more rain in the forecast, the river is expected to continue rising possibly overtopping the sandbags that are in place.”

Strain spoke to officials with the National Guard and the Army Corps of Engineers in an effort to seek additional support for the farmers. Strain said he will continue to personally monitor the situation over the weekend.
“If water comes over the levee and is trapped in front of the spillway gates, it could take several months to completely drain out,” Strain explained. “This would ruin existing crops and eliminate any opportunity for the farmers to plant crops this year. It would put them out of business by taking them out of production on this land.”





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