The Mississippi River is at 16.2 feet. It is forecast to crest at 17.5 feet April 11th. That is higher than the crest last year. Earlier this year we did have a crest of 17.1 feet, but the river dropped below 15 feet. Now it is on the rise again. The flow is forecast to be higher that 1.25 million cubic feet per second, which is the trigger for opening the Bonnet Carre' Spillway. The Corps of Engineers will hold a press conference Thursday at 2pm to announce the decision on whether to open the Spillway or not.
Remember last year was the first time the Spillway was opened twice in one year. It was also the first time it was opened two years in a row as it was opened in 2018 and 2019. If the Spillway opens this year, it will be the first time it has opened three years in a row.
There is big concern from fishermen and others about the opening of the Spillway. It releases fresh water into Lake Pontchartrain and then into the Gulf. Last year we did see negative impacts on wildlife and the fishing industry.
The concern about the high water and the fast flow is that we could have issues with our levees. That is why the Spillway is opened to relieve pressure on the levees and prevent failure. The levees protect the Metro up to 20 feet and in some cases a little higher.
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from Local Stories
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