After centuries of floods, construction on the Mississippi River floodwall began in 1956 to protect the city from waters that periodically ravaged the town. The massive flood-control project was completed eight years later in 1964 at a cost of more than $4 million. The system of earthen levees and concrete walls parallels the river for 7,210 feet, approximately 1.3 miles, and rises as high as 16 feet. It includes two pumping stations, five gates, and six drainage structures. The floodwall proved its worth by protecting downtown from the huge floods of 1973 and 1993.