It appears the Mississippi Gulf Coast can breathe easier after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced it will not open the Bonnet Carre Spillway yesterday. The Times-Picayune reported yesterday:
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers does not expect to open the Bonnet Carré Spillway as the Mississippi River is no longer expected to crest at a level that would require water to be diverted into Lake Pontchartrain.
New Orleans Corps spokesperson Matt Roe said Tuesday that internal estimates of the river's flow rate will be slightly below the 1.25 million cubic feet per second that typically trigger an opening to reduce pressure on downriver levees. "Now that we're close to what we're expecting, the actual measurements are coming in lower," Roe said in an interview. His comments came after recent forecasts that rising river levels would trigger an operation of the diversion. Earlier this month, the Corps ran a test operation on the spillway, opening one of its 350 bays.
The National Weather Service forecasts as of Tuesday show the river cresting at the Carrollton Gauge in New Orleans at 16.6 feet starting May 2. A reading of 17 feet typically translates to the flow rate that would trigger an opening. As of Tuesday, the flow rate was 1.245 million cubic feet per second and is expected to stay around that figure for the next few days as the river crests, according to the Corps. The spillway, located in Norco, connects the river to Lake Pontchartrain through a system of floodways and bays that are opened when needed. It was built nearly a century ago, following the great flood of 1927. The Corps would typically announce a recommendation for opening the spillway two days before an operation, the approximate time for water at Red River landing to flow down to the New Orleans gauge. At that point in the river's course, there are no other outlets for the water. Last opened in 2020, the Bonnet Carré alleviates pressure on the levee system to prevent any potential breaches. Rest of article.
Good news for the Gulf Coast.
11 comments:
Definitely good news.
Give credit where credit is due! Thanks, Delbert.
Delbert convinced the river to reduce its metrics?
Now we can eat oysters on the half shell as God intended not have their habitat blown out by Louisiana sewage.
Delbert cared and fought for the Coast - give him credit for that.
Delbert’s opinion really had nothing to do with this. Like him , but he’s a Lt Guv in the bottom ranked state. Or do you believe all the press releases drafted by 23 year old poli sci majors that sound good to rubes? Good grief.
Apparently you missed the press release that cited the scientists, economic data, and genuine EXPERTS that were used for support said "opinion."
“ Delbert convinced the river to reduce its metrics?”
Darth Delbert finds your lack of faith disturbing.
Don’t listen to all these haters, D-bert! You are an amazing representative of the Silent Generation.
Thanks for sticking up for us, Delbert. Now we need to get rid of the lower MS. delta flood diversion debacle, so we don't get their flood pollution on the Coast. Also make them use the Morganza spillway instead. Then the people that live in the former river bottoms and floodplains can move to higher ground.
Way to go Delbert. Keep that pollution out of our Sound. Also, tear down the diversion structure that keeps the river out of its floodplain, sending more water to kill the Sound!
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