Pushing on

Anthony Ohmes, regional agronomy specialist with the Mississippi County University of Missouri Extension in Charleston, looks at corn growing on land located at Birds Point. In an effort to provide relief to communities in Missouri, Illinois and Kentucky, a year ago on May 2, a two-mile stretch of the Birds Point-New Madrid Levee, pictured in the background, was intentionally breached by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, flooding 130,000 acres of farmland. Ohmes estimated over 90 percent of cropland in the spillway is being farmed this year. (Photo by Leonna Heuring, Staff)

Year after Corps breached levee, flooding land, farmers back at work

leonnah@standard-democrat.com

BIRDS POINT -- Prior to the intentional breaching of the Birds Point-New Madrid Floodway a year ago, farmland there was regarded as some of the most fertile soil in the world.

Today, waters have receded and the growing season is full swing on the majority of 130,000 acres inundated with water following three implosions by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

"Farmers are a very tenacious group, and they're go-getters," said Anthony Ohmes, regional agronomy specialist with the Mississippi County University of Missouri Extension in Charleston. "They just push on. ... They said it's time to plant corn, and I don't think there's a lot of looking back."

A year ago Wednesday, after the Ohio and Mississippi rivers swelled to record heights, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers used explosives to tear holes in the levee at Birds Point. Corps officials deemed releasing the water necessary to save other towns in Missouri, Illinois and Kentucky.

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