Old River Control Structure (ORCS) 2/17/24

On Saturday, Feb. 17, our group traveled to the Old River Control Complex near Simmesport,

LA. This structure was designed as a bulwark against the river’s inclination to carve a new path

to the Gulf of Mexico and has been referred to as “America’s Achilles’ Heel.” It is crucial to the

state of Louisiana, the nation, and even the world.

The lower Mississippi River is key to the industry, energy, water supply, and food supplies. Together with other smaller ports downriver, Baton Rouge and New Orleans handle over 60% of all U.S. grain exports to the world. A disruption of months would cause food prices to skyrocket and cause dangerous food shortages.

The barges going upriver also transport petrochemicals, fertilizers, and raw materials necessary for U.S. industry and agriculture. If the ORCS was to fail, barge navigation would be interrupted for weeks, perhaps months. In 2011, it was estimated that closure of the Mississippi shipping would cost the economy $295 million per day. That figure is much higher today. Trains and trucks could not possibly replace the volume of goods shipped by barges on the Mississippi and even if that were possible, the cost

would be prohibitive. “Closure for multiple months would cause a cascade of impacts across a

broad sector of the U.S. economy, multiplying costs.” (source: 2019 article by Jeff Masters)

The Old River Control Complex controls the flow of the Mississippi River where it converges

with the Red River and the Atchafalaya Spillway. It is comprised of 4 structures that have various purposes, but the goal of the complex is to keep the Mississippi from going its own way

to the lower elevation Atchafalaya. If this were to happen, it would be devastating because the river

would no longer flow to the ports of Baton Rouge and New Orleans, disrupting the critical supply lines provided by the river. It would also disrupt the water supply for the businesses and people of

New Orleans and the Industrial Coridor. In addition, it would wipe out Morgan City and other smaller towns.

With these facts in mind, we read over and listened to the GH15 post with Gina Gholston’s

dream on the way to the ORCS. Then, standing near the water by the ORCS, we prayed, declared, and decreed the prayers and decrees provided on the Give Him 15 website. We also read the decrees over the Mississippi River states and then we decreed Psalm91 over the river, the structures, our state, and nation. We also read and claimed the Preamble of Louisiana’s constitution.

We declared the protection of angelic hosts over the river, the ORCS, our state, and nation.

Finally, we declared and decreed what the Lord had given me during the week for this

assignment. We declared a blessing over Louisiana and every state touched by the River, we

declared protection over the river, the ORCS, and everything downriver in the path of the

Mississippi. As another group did, we poured salt into the waters, decalring that the river would

not be tainted or poisoned and that even existing pollution was being cleansed.

We decreed that our enemies will hear a sound that will terrify them and cause them to flee, just as the Syrian army did in II Kings 7. We also decreed that the terrorist forces, the forces of enemy nations, and any other groups, foreign or domestic, will fight against each other just as Ammon, Moab, and Mt, Seir did in II Chronicles 20. We declared they will be unable to carry out their missions and will leave vast amounts of plunder to be gathered by wise, capable, upright law enforcement & intelligence officers. None of it will be hidden or squandered. We declared that money, equipment, and intel will be gathered. We declared that not one nation, group, or conspirator

will escape.

We entrusted all of this to the Lord.