I think June 6, is still D Day for opening Morganza.
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I think June 6, is still D Day for opening Morganza.
I let you guys have 25 pages of some good info by helmut & then start the ridiculous stuff about drinking water etc. My question still stands & has sound reasoning behind it. Why didn't the core allow more water out of the Butte Larose area earlier & give the spillway more ability to do its job so they could open the Morganza sooner. IF there is massive flooding this time as opposed to the river levels topping out early as they did last time, this will be the direct cause of that flooding. I have read & understand Helmut's reasoning about velocity causing scouring of the levees. But there is something greater to consider here. It isn't just about levee protection. The whole reason for the levee system to begin with is to minimize, or eliminate the flooding on the other side of those levees. Otherwise what good are the levees to begin with. Because the corps overreacted last time they not only avoided a potentially hazardous horrible situation, they made it look like they knew exactly what they were doing. This time late & lazy reaction to this could lead to catastrophic flooding throughout ALL of South Central Louisiana.Quote:
Originally Posted by Cajunrunner
.....Way back in the start of this thread, the worry of a tropical system was mentioned by a poster.....well, it looks as this scenario seems to be close to manifesting itself....help Helmut and BWK.....what is the latest and why?....and as usual, thanks so much for your efforts!!!Quote:
Originally Posted by HelmutVII
Opening is pushed back to June 9 due to the river rising slower than anticipated. Good news for those in the Basin.Quote:
Originally Posted by Boomer
Helmut, what would happen should the tropical depression drop significant precipitation on any area of the Mississippi?
I'm hoping the core doesn't have a false sense of security with the levees, it seems to me the longer you delay the release that the longer these levees will have to retain the water. Especially with a tropical system already possibly becoming a rain threat.
https://blogs.nasa.gov/hurricanes/20...tlantic-ocean/
Sounds like a liberal plot.
well Mississippi sound is currently reached 0 salinity level when it should be near 20 at this time of year. The oyster beds are dead and any aquaculture beds have had to be relocated as far east as possible. The shrimp season is shot and any commercial charter fishermen cant find fish. We have had over 100 dolphins wash up on our beaches with untold numbers of endangered sea turtles, all this so that New Orleans can be safe from River water.
I can tell you there isn’t clean GOM water almost anywhere along the Louisiana coast either. There is muddy water almost 40 miles out of the Wax and Atchafalaya deltas.Quote:
Originally Posted by billbeck451
We are lucky that Arkansas and Missouri levees have failed.
Rainfall here in Louisiana really won't affect the water levels all that much because the we don't drain all that much into the Mississippi or Atchafalaya. . I think the main reason why the Corps has decided to wait is because this system could cause an increase in surface water levels due to storm surge. That is depending on where it make s landfall. The water levels in the lower Atchafalaya are really high due to high flows from the red river and normal diversion from the Mississippi, Storm surge would make that worse causing more flooding than anticipated. Best to wait until this thing passes. Hope it passes to the east to get a strong north wind to reduce water levels. It's all about slope of the energy grade line. Lower water levels at the downstream end increase the conveyance. The channel could be a mile deep and it would still flow the same amount of water with the same water surface elevation.Quote:
Originally Posted by LouisianaB
how is the water in the Henderson area, I know it was high earlier during the spring, but haven't heard anything lately
I think the official St. Martin parish term for it is "high high"Quote:
Originally Posted by billbeck451
And that is why they are not too happy about opening Morganza.Quote:
Originally Posted by CharlieK
NiceQuote:
Originally Posted by CharlieK
For those not familiar with this area:Quote:
Originally Posted by CharlieK
The Henderson Control Structure is located in the borrow canal along the West Atchafalaya Basin Protection Levee, south of the pontoon bridge. I believe the top of the structure gates is somewhere around elevation 9.0. Water stage in Henderson will rise any time the river stage at Butte LaRose is 9.0 and rising. Water enters the WABPL borrow canal through the Butte LaRose Canal and backs up into Henderson Lake. The juncture of the Atchafalaya R and the Butte LaRose Canal is just south of the Butte LaRose public boat landing. The canal runs south from there and then west to the WABPL borrow canal and then into the lake.
I suspect the pontoon bridge is still closed. Is that correct?Quote:
Originally Posted by mahtoo
I haven't been there to look around but I would guess you are correct.
BWK's description of allowing excess water to drain from the Butte LaRose area is confusing, at least to me. If he referring to the Atchafalaya River area at Butte LaRose, then I say he is wrong. If he is really referring to the Henderson Lake area that is a different story. That area can only be drained when the river level is lower than the top of the Henderson Control Structure gates, which I said in a previous post is around elevation 9.0. If the river level is higher than the structure elevation, water will flow into the lake no matter if gates are open or not.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ragin4U
Opening of the gates when river levels are low is coordinated amongst many.....St. Martin Parish, Henderson Town officials, LDWF, USACE, etc. Locals whose business interests depend on sufficient water levels to remain open would certainly have had objections to draining the lake area months in advance of a possible high river situation. Besides, IMO the Henderson watershed area is not sufficient to provide enough capacity to affect Atchafalaya River levels. Again , IMO.
I am trying to get river stage info for Butte LaRose for the last 6 months. Since we have been in a high water situation for so long, it would surprise me if river stages were at or lower than elevation 9.0 for a sufficient length of time to allow for much drainage of Henderson Lake. If/when I get that info I will share it. Maybe someone else will have better luck finding info for more than the last 2 months.
Others asked earlier today about water levels in Henderson Lake and about the pontoon bridge. I took a ride out there today.
Pontoon bridge is closed and will apparently remain so for a while. There is hardly any current at all at the pontoon bridge. Could not read the gage that is located in the borrow canal. Hidden from view. The bottom of the gage just north of the bridge is at elevation 20.0 Water elevation is approximately 2 feet below that, maybe 2.5 feet, which puts the water elevation at approx 17.5 to 18.0
There is a slight current at the Henderson Control Structure 2 miles to the south of the bridge. The entire structure is under water. Didn't look around much. I believe I would have disturbed a couple that were there for a rendezvous.
Several of the private boat landings are still open for business but parking is at a premium.
Water is at or near the flood side toe in many areas along the levee.
My question is was the river ever below 9 foot of elevation any time from January thru March. If so, why was the upper Atchafalaya not drained then in preparation fro the coming floods which were obvious to me as a casual observer? I knew then when I saw the level int he lake we were going to have this problem & I thought to start a thread then. But I knew I would be met with at least as much, or more criticism for daring to speak up against fearless leader. So I figured, why bother. In time he would have enough rope to hang himself. Now the stage is set. I have a house on the Amite as well as Lafayette. I know river levels were way down in January. That's the only reason my house didn't get water in it during the last rain. But I was concerned having to fight the water coming in from the Bonne Carrie to take out the water fast enough. The bottom line is IF the water level had been allowed to evacuate the upper Atchafalaya basing EARLIER. there would be a place for the water which is coming down now to go & thereby alleviate a large part of the coming water which is still due to hit which can't be released now because it has nowhere to go. Do you get that?
SO what you're saying is we risk the worst flooding in decades, maybe even historically because the poor crawfishermen needed to get an extra couple of thousand dollars each this winter? What about the years they drained the lake completely so it would kill the hydrilla grass? My God people! When is someone in public office going to use some God given common sense to protect the rights of many over the special interests of so few?Quote:
Originally Posted by mahtoo
The Atchafalaya at Butte LaRose has not been below 9' since sometime around the end of September. As someone else correctly stated, there is no way to remove water from Henderson Lake with water levels above 9'. The control structure can only HOLD water at 9' when downstream elevations are low.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bandwagon King
https://nwis.waterdata.usgs.gov/usa/...ate=2019-06-04
..........OK guys....we got the water up North, the levees being topped and destroyed on rivers up North, not sure about the snow melt and its bearing on the situation, more rain coming, possible tropical situation in East Texas and Louisiana, the 2 spillways and their effect<p><p>what is the latest guess as to what will happen? Thanks!
My prediction is secondary sexual characteristics in Latin while playing the piano and speaking in half, and simultaneously run-on sentences ??...!!!!!!!Quote:
Originally Posted by Boomer
Whoops.Quote:
Originally Posted by jumboragncajun