The U.S government has created this situation at the request of the AG and shipping industries for coal and other commodities. They created a system that could function as a means to ship large amounts cheaply on barges. What they did not realize was the effect of channelizing the largest river in the U.S. and how naturally occuring weather patterns would cause massive flooding due to the increase kenetic energy of moving more water downstream.

So the AG industry benefited from the operation of the Mississipi as a shipping canal for decades, now rhey complain? Ironic.