The Atchafalaya Basin is in the Lower Mississippi River area of the Mississippi River Delta . The culmination of events that eventually led to the existence of wildlife management areas in the Basin in general and the Shereburne Complex in particular began after the Great Flood of 1844 and 1851 . The Great Flood of 1927 prompted the Louisiana Legislature to pass several flood control bills , including the Flood Control Act of 1928 , as well as Mississippi River & Tributaries ( MR&T ) Project . The result was the Atchafalaya Basin Floodway system , channelization ( Whiskey Bay cutoff ) , and bank stabilization projects . During the 1930s and 1940s extensive dredging was performed on the Atchafalaya . In 1954 , after the Great Flood of 1951 , major dredging was resumed by the Corps . In 1963 the Old River control structure was built to prevent the capture of the Mississippi by the Atchafalaya . In 1968 , because of environmental concerns as well as a lack of funds , dredging was discontinued . In 1972 the Louisiana Congress enacted act 365 that established the Atchfalaya Basin Division , within the Department of Public Works . The Corps was directed to develop a plan for the Atchafalaya Basin which was completed in 1982 and became the " Atchafalaya Basin Floodway System Project " ( ABFS ) . In 1983 , were purchased by the state for the creation of the Sherburne Wildlife Management Area . In 1985 , Louisiana Public Law 99-88 was enacted to authorize a multipurpose plan
Great Flood of 1927
Great Mississippi Flood of 1927
Sherburne Complex Wildlife Management Area