Morganza Spillway in 1954, the Morganza Spillway has been opened twice (in 1973 and 2011), and considered for opening during four other major floods of the Lower Mississippi River. On April 17, 1973, in order to lower the water level of the Mississippi River and relieve pressure on the Old River Control Structure, the Corps of Engineers opened 42 of the 125 steel gates of the Morganza Spillway for the first time since its completion, allowing about half of its maximum designed flowrate to pass from the Mississippi into the Atchafalaya Basin. The spillway received minor scouring and slight damage to the
Maryland Route 242 in 1923. The state highway was reconstructed with curve modifications and a bituminous-stabilized gravel surface in the 1950s, beginning with the Morganza–Clements section in 1949 and 1950. MD 242 was rebuilt from Clements to Bushwood by 1959. Maryland Route 242 Maryland Route 242 (MD 242) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known as Colton Point Road, the state highway runs from Coltons Point north to MD 5 in Morganza. MD 242 connects the communities of Morganza, Clements, Bushwood, Avenue, and Coltons Point in western St. Mary's County. The state highway also leads to St. Clement's Island