[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 165 (Tuesday, November 1, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1974]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 RECOGNIZING THE SERVICE OF MAJOR GENERAL MICHAEL J. WALSH, COMMANDER, 
       MISSISSIPPI VALLEY DIVISION, U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. GREGG HARPER

                             of mississippi

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 1, 2011

  Mr. HARPER. Mr. Speaker, Major General Michael J. Walsh assumed 
command of Mississippi Valley Division in February, 2008. Since that 
time, he has played a vital role in managing the Corps' water resources 
program in the Mississippi River Valley, a $7.5 billion civil works 
program. GEN Walsh also served simultaneously as President-designee of 
the Mississippi River Commission, which oversees and implements the 
Mississippi River and Tributaries (MR&T) project.
  The MR&T project was authorized through the Flood Control Act of 1928 
and is the largest flood control project in the world stretching from 
Cairo, Illinois to the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet. The MR&T was 
conceived in response to the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927, the most 
destructive flood in U.S. history, which claimed countless lives and 
flooded thousands of square miles.
  The recent floods of the Mississippi tested the MR&T project to its 
fullest. The Mississippi River reached and surpassed record levels in 
Vicksburg and Natchez, Mississippi. For the first time in 37 years, the 
Morganza Spillway was opened to save most of Baton Rouge and New 
Orleans, Louisiana. Thankfully, through GEN Walsh's leadership, 
billions of dollars in flood damage and most importantly lives were 
saved. Upon reflection, GEN Walsh exhibited the type of control, 
understanding, and skill that effectively battled a flood that could 
have devastated the Mississippi River Region. While there is much to 
rebuild and the loss of life that did occur must be mourned, we must 
congratulate GEN Walsh and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on a job 
well done. We wish you well in your future endeavors and look forward 
to working with you in your new capacity.

                          ____________________