Big Five Levee System 
Location
City, County, and State of the levee system. Determined by the levee alignment location not the leveed area.
Cape Girardeau County, Missouri
System ID
Unique identifier code for the levee system using 10 or 12 numbers in length.
5605320001
Operation and Maintenance Organization
Entity responsible for day-to-day management of the levee.
North Alexander Drainage & Levee DistrictEast Cape Girardeau & Clear Creek DrainageClear Creek Drainage & Levee DistrictPreston Drainage & Levee District
Floodplain Management
Entities responsible for regulating activities that occur in areas prone to flooding.
FEMA Region 5
Oversight Organization
Entity responsible for oversight of the levee and ensuring it is maintained.
USACE - St Louis District
Last Assesment Date Last Risk Assessment or Formal Inspection.
8/3/2017
Data Last Updated Date any of this information for the system has been updated.
10/28/2025
Levee Length
Combine length of all the levee system features including the embankments, floodwalls, closures where they exist for this system.
54.605 Miles Average Levee Height
The average height of the levee system. The levee profile viewer on the mapping window will show the actual levee height values for the length of the levee if available.
17 Feet Year Levee Constructed Year levee system was fully completed as a flood reduction project.
1957 Summary
General text description of the levee system with a summary of why the levee is there, and the benefits it provides.
The Big Five levee system reduces the risk of flooding from the Mississippi River and tributaries to the Alexander County and Union County communities of East Cape Girardeau, McClure, Wolf Lake and Ware, Illinois. The system is federally authorized and constructed and locally operated and maintained by the nonfederal sponsors: East Cape Girardeau and Clear Creek Drainage District, North Alexander Drainage and Levee District (D&LD), Preston D&LD, and Clear Creek Levee and Drainage District. The levee system was completed in 1957 and consists of 54.6 miles of earthen embankment along Mississippi River, Big Muddy River, Sexton Creek, and Clear Creek. In addition to nearly 40,000 acres of agricultural land, the 53,700-acre leveed area includes Illinois highways Route 3 and 146, a heavily utilized Union Pacific double-track main line rail, the Shawnee School District, and multiple residential, commercial, and industrial properties including a munitions manufacturer, a heavy equipment salvage and retail company, and several oil/gas pipelines. This levee benefits approximately 1,700 residents and employees and $130 million in property value. During 2019, it is estimated that the system prevented more than $240 million in flood damages.
Performance & Condition
General text description of the historical and anticipated performance of the levee, the people and property benefitting from the levee and who may be at risk of flooding, and actions to address areas of concern.
A risk assessment was performed on the Big Five levee system in 2017, which identified underseepage as the primary risk for the levee. Underseepage can erode a levee's foundation and can result in levee failure. Underseepage has historically been observed along the Big Five levee during floods, and underseepage has become more frequent and more significant over time. Relief wells were built along parts of the levee to control underseepage, however more relief wells were planned but never constructed due to real estate constraints. Some original relief wells have now been destroyed or are in disrepair today adding to underseepage concerns. Despite underseepage, the Big Five levee has prevented flooding during many previous flood events including the 2019 flood. To lower risk to the population, levee sponsors and USACE prepared an emergency action plan with evacuation procedures in 2022. A future levee overtopping event or failure would impact the local communities, cause economic hardship for the region, and result in loss of life if the population is not evacuated.
Flooding Hazard
Historic Loading by Percentage of Height
Representative loading associated with historical flood information as a percentage of the levee height or overtopping.
Representative loading associated with historical flood information as a percentage of the levee height or overtopping.
No historic loading data available at this time