---
kind: "section"
citation: "33 U.S.C. § 605a"
title: "33"
title_heading: "Navigation and Navigable Waters"
number: "605a"
heading: "Mississippi River forecasting improvements"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/33/605a"
units:
  - "Chapter 12 — River and Harbor Improvements Generally"
  - "Subchapter IV — Particular Work or Improvements"
---

# §605a. Mississippi River forecasting improvements

- (1) **In general—** The [Secretary](/usc/33/426h–1.md?p=2), in consultation with the [Secretary](/usc/33/426h–1.md?p=2) of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating, the Director of the United States Geological Survey, the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Director of the National Weather Service, as applicable, shall improve forecasting on the Mississippi River by—
  - (A) updating forecasting technology deployed on the Mississippi River and its tributaries through—
    - (i) the construction of additional automated river gages;
    - (ii) the rehabilitation of existing automated and manual river gages; and
    - (iii) the replacement of manual river gages with automated gages, as the [Secretary](/usc/33/426h–1.md?p=2) determines to be necessary;
  - (B) constructing additional sedimentation ranges on the Mississippi River and its tributaries; and
  - (C) deploying additional automatic identification system base stations at river gage sites.
- (2) **Prioritization—** In carrying out this section, the [Secretary](/usc/33/426h–1.md?p=2) shall prioritize the sections of the Mississippi River on which additional and more reliable information would have the greatest impact on maintaining navigation on the Mississippi River.
- (3) **Report—** Not later than 1 year after June 10, 2014, the [Secretary](/usc/33/426h–1.md?p=2) shall submit to Congress and make publicly available a report on the activities carried out by the [Secretary](/usc/33/426h–1.md?p=2) under this section.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 113–121, title IV, § 4002(a), June 10, 2014, 128 Stat. 1308.)

## Notes

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### “Secretary” Defined

Secretary means the Secretary of the Army, see section 2 of Pub. L. 113–121, set out as a note under section 2201 of this title.