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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. When was the Kent, a small towboat used by the U.S. Army Corps, put into service?
(a) 1989.
(b) 1973.
(c) 1952.
(d) 1964.

2. In the 1800s, swamps in Louisiana are drained and used as what?
(a) Farmland.
(b) Storage pits.
(c) Hideouts.
(d) Military camps.

3. In the spring of 1973, what does the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers do to try to alleviate the tremendous force of water against the control structure?
(a) Dig a ditch to re-route the water.
(b) Dam up water north of the structure.
(c) Purposely flood the entire region.
(d) Open up all eleven gates.

4. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers distributes Atchafalaya river water to swamps, bayous, towns, and cities in:
(a) French Acadia.
(b) Houston, Texas.
(c) Neighboring Mississippi.
(d) Shreveport, Louisiana.

5. Of the Old River Control Project, LeRoy Dugas, also known as Dugie, is what initially?
(a) Critical.
(b) Furious.
(c) Supportive.
(d) Indifferent.

6. By 1812, the east bank of the Mississippi River is levied up to which city?
(a) Shreveport.
(b) Lake Charles.
(c) Alexandria.
(d) Baton Rouge.

7. In the early 1800s, private plantation owners in Louisiana levee riverbanks to:
(a) Irrigate their land.
(b) Protect their land.
(c) Combine river water.
(d) Store river water.

8. What does the author say happens in the area of the Atchafalaya River in the spring of 1973?
(a) Freak storms from the north bring snow to the region, freezing the rivers solid.
(b) River levels rise and surrounding fields are covered in brown floodwater.
(c) Three hurricanes devastate the region, leaving millions homeless.
(d) Dry conditions bring the river levels down, grounding countless boats.

9. Sympathetically, who does McPhee blame for destructive actions against the natural order of the environment?
(a) Man.
(b) The Executive branch of government.
(c) The United Nations.
(d) Foreign policy.

10. Rabalais says he remembers being taught in high school that one day, these would be built:
(a) Lighter and sturdier barges.
(b) Structures to control water flows.
(c) Skyscrapers along the river banks.
(d) Ships to travel faster along rivers.

11. A navigation lock on the bank of the Mississippi River lowers ships down to where?
(a) Gulf of Mexico.
(b) Atchafalaya River.
(c) Atlantic Ocean.
(d) Red River.

12. In the 1800s, why do levee districts and boards form in Louisiana?
(a) For diplomatic reasons.
(b) To spread levee costs.
(c) To establish water claims.
(d) To control water levels.

13. After the U.S. Army Corps takes control of the Atchafalaya, Old Cajun bayou life is:
(a) Renewed.
(b) Diminished.
(c) Enriched.
(d) Lost.

14. When floodwaters cover twenty-six thousand square miles in 1927, how is New Orleans saved?
(a) Building concrete walls around the city.
(b) Layering sandbags along the riverbanks.
(c) Blowing up a downstream levee.
(d) Quickly digging a diversion channel.

15. Initially, Rabalais is hired as a construction inspector to watch for what at the navigation lock?
(a) Oversized ships.
(b) Escaping water.
(c) Illegal drug shipments.
(d) Trapped seals.

Short Answer Questions

1. In the early days of New Orleans, residents build their homes on what?

2. When the author recalls his first time in the Atchafalaya swamps with Charles Fryling in 1980, what does he fondly remember?

3. This book is a:

4. On General Sand's floating conference boat, Oliver Houck is the only board member who is active in what?

5. What is commonly fished from the bayou regions around the Atchafalaya?

(see the answer keys)

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