# § 702. Mississippi River
[Authorization of flood-control work.]March 3, 1923
For controlling the floods of the Mississippi River and continuing its improvement from the Head of the Passes to the mouth of the Ohio River the Secretary of the Army is empowered, authorized, and directed to carry on continuously, by hired labor or otherwise, the plans of the Mississippi River Commission, prior to , or thereafter adopted, to be paid for as appropriations may from time to time be made by law.[Allotments for improvement of watercourses connected with Mississippi River.]March 1, 1917
The watercourses connected with the Mississippi River to such extent as may be necessary to exclude the flood waters from the upper limits of any delta basin, together with the Ohio River from its mouth to the mouth of the Cache River, may, in the discretion of said commission, receive allotments for improvements under way , or thereafter to be undertaken.[Maintenance of levees constructed for flood control.]
Upon the completion of any levee constructed for flood control under authority of this section, said levee shall be turned over to the levee district protected thereby for maintenance thereafter; but for all other purposes the United States shall retain such control over the same as it may have the right to exercise upon such completion.
---
**Source Credit**: (Mar. 1, 1917, ch. 144, § 1, 39 Stat. 948; Mar. 4, 1923, ch. 277, 42 Stat. 1505; July 26, 1947, ch. 343, title II, § 205(a), 61 Stat. 501.)
## Editorial Notes
### Codification
Last clause of first paragraph was originally limited to appropriations made for a period of six years beginning .
The portion of the first paragraph providing “and a sum not to exceed $10,000,000 annually is hereby authorized to be appropriated for that purpose, for a period of six years beginning ” together with the fourth paragraph, relating to expenditures for improvements between Head of Passes and Rock Island, were from act , which superseded provisions on the same subjects contained in act , from which the rest of the section was derived, and were omitted as executed.
Sections 2 and 3 of act , are classified to sections 703 and 701, respectively, of this title, and section 4 of act , amended .
## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
### Change of Name
Department of War designated Department of the Army and title of Secretary of War changed to Secretary of the Army by section 205(a) of , . Section 205(a) of act , was repealed by section 53 of , . Section 1 of act , enacted “Title 10, Armed Forces” which in sections 3010 to 3013 continued Department of the Army under administrative supervision of Secretary of the Army.