Mississippi flood of 1973 The Morganza Spillway was opened, flooding portions of the Atchafalaya River basin in Louisiana and causing the deaths of thousands of head of livestock and white-tailed deer. The 1973 flood was notable for nearly causing the failure of the Old River Control Structure above the Mississippi River Delta, which would have sent the Mississippi's main channel flowing into the Atchafalaya River and bypassing most of the delta region including the major port of New Orleans, Louisiana. In spite of record high flows, flood stages were not as high as past events. Red River Landing, Louisiana reached 58.22 feet on May
114th Ohio Infantry River Campaign April 26-May 22. Graham's Plantation May 5. Retreat to Morganza May 13–20. Mansura, or Marksville Prairie, May 16. Expedition to Atchafalaya May 30-June 6. Duty at Morganza until November 21. Moved to mouth of White River, Ark., November 21–26. Return to Morganza December 6. Expedition to Morgan's Ferry, Atchafalaya River, December 13–14. Moved to Kenner, La., January 8, 1865; thence to Barrancas, Fla., January 24. Campaign against Mobile, Ala., and its Defenses, March 20-April 12. March from Pensacola, Fla., to Blakely, Ala., March 20-April 2. Occupation of Canoe Station March 27. Siege of Spanish Fort and Fort Blakely