2019 Mississippi River

As much as I hate to say it, it looks like we might be in for a rough spring on the Mississippi River this spring. They are looking at opening the Bonnet Carre Spillway this week. This is VERY unusual for this to happen so early in the season. The flow rates at Baton Rouge have been at or above 1 million cubic feet per second since Feb. 18. There has been a substantial amount of rain in Tennessee and Kentucky and other areas of the Ohio river basin. Hoping that the warm up is slow and the the snow melt is spread out over a long period of time.

If I had a camp in the Attchafalaya Basin I would keep an eye out. Just sayin.

Buckle up, this gon be a fun thread! Somebody wake up the king.

I'm just curious to see if Vick thinks this is RP worthy?

Where you at Bandwagon King?

You know there is an easy fix for this.......

http://dailycrawfishnews.com/wp-cont...3/i10flood.jpg

Heard from a friend the Mississippi has already changed course.

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Originally Posted by Cajun Monkee

Heard from a friend the Mississippi has already changed course.

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Always knew one day that damn thing would change its mind and flow North.

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Originally Posted by zephyr

I'm just curious to see if Vick thinks this is RP worthy?

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Curiosity killed the cat😾😼😽😺😸😹😹

https://www.nola.com/news/2019/02/co...wednesday.html




https://www.theadvocate.com/new_orle...974d356d3.html

Think I’ll go out there and see if the bald eagles are still nesting on the west side.

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Originally Posted by CajunVic

Curiosity killed the cat😾😼😽😺😸😹😹

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Not this one. Meow.

With the likely opening of the ORCS and Morgansa Spillway, is everyone out of the floodplain?

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Originally Posted by cajun4life

With the likely opening of the ORCS and Morgansa Spillway, is everyone out of the floodplain?

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where is the flood plan listed . I would imagine lower St. Martin and butte la rose area are in it

https://www.wwltv.com/mobile/article...9-22dabc324fb5

https://www.wwltv.com/mobile/article...9-22dabc324fb5

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Originally Posted by cajun4life

With the likely opening of the ORCS and Morgansa Spillway, is everyone out of the floodplain?

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Last I heard the Corps said there are no expectations at this time open the Morganza.

Good read on the Morganza........

https://www.wunderground.com/blog/Je...ontrol-st.html

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Originally Posted by Cajun90

Last I heard the Corps said there are no expectations at this time open the Morganza.

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While that is currently the plan, Tennessee and Arkansas are continuing to get hammered with rain and have severe flooding now. Also the Miss River has silted in an incredible 30’ between ORCS and BR since 2011.

I’d be shocked if they don’t open all flood control structures in some fashion.

Mississippi River at Knox Landing

https://waterdata.usgs.gov/la/nwis/u...20,63160,00060

Mississippi River at Baton Rouge

https://waterdata.usgs.gov/la/nwis/u...20,63160,00060


Mississippi River at Bonnet Carre

https://waterdata.usgs.gov/la/nwis/u...20,63160,00060

Gage heights at all three locations are on the same datum.

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Originally Posted by cajun4life

While that is currently the plan, Tennessee and Arkansas are continuing to get hammered with rain and have severe flooding now. Also the Miss River has silted in an incredible 30’ between ORCS and BR since 2011.

I’d be shocked if they don’t open all flood control structures in some fashion.

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While the silt is there, the general rule of thumb is that for every foot the water level rises a foot of the river bed is scoured and transported downstream. The Ohio river basin has had extreme rainfall this entire winter. This could be a repeat of 2011 or 1973. 1973 is when they almost lost the ORCS. They were throwing cars, railroad cars and BFR in the hole on the side of the structure to keep from losing it.

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Originally Posted by HelmutVII

While the silt is there, the general rule of thumb is that for every foot the water level rises a foot of the river bed is scoured and transported downstream. The Ohio river basin has had extreme rainfall this entire winter. This could be a repeat of 2011 or 1973. 1973 is when they almost lost the ORCS. They were throwing cars, railroad cars and BFR in the hole on the side of the structure to keep from losing it.

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<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_River_Control_Structure">ORCS - Old River Control Structure</a> if anyone wants to learn something like I did today. Didn't recognize that acronym.

Trying to visualize what happened in 1973 (haven't heard that story). What part of the structure were they doing that to? Overbank, low sill, auxiliary? Very interesting stuff, thanks Helmut.

Edit: Just getting around to clicking Cajun90's link. Thanks for that

1973 was a significant event. They almost lost a wing wall for the low sill structure. Follow the link for a brief discussion of the ORCS Morganza complex.

http://www.americaswetlandresources....erControl.html

I drove through the Morganza complex in 2011. It was scary, the Mississippi river was wide, very very very wide. I would suspect that one day the Atchafalaya will eventually capture the Mississippi river one day as it is the shortest route to the Gulf of Mexico. (The energy grade line is steeper down the Atchafalaya than the Mississippi and the only thing in it's way is the ORCS)

this is a US Corps of Engineers link

https://www.mvn.usace.army.mil/Porta...olBrochure.pdf

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Originally Posted by HelmutVII

1973 was a significant event. They almost lost a wing wall for the low sill structure. Follow the link for a brief discussion of the ORCS Morganza complex.

http://www.americaswetlandresources....erControl.html

I drove through the Morganza complex in 2011. It was scary, the Mississippi river was wide, very very very wide. I would suspect that one day the Atchafalaya will eventually capture the Mississippi river one day as it is the shortest route to the Gulf of Mexico. (The energy grade line is steeper down the Atchafalaya than the Mississippi and the only thing in it's way is the ORCS)

this is a US Corps of Engineers link

https://www.mvn.usace.army.mil/Porta...olBrochure.pdf

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Gonna read on that when I get home. Thanks!

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Originally Posted by HelmutVII

1973 was a significant event. They almost lost a wing wall for the low sill structure. Follow the link for a brief discussion of the ORCS Morganza complex.

http://www.americaswetlandresources....erControl.html

I drove through the Morganza complex in 2011. It was scary, the Mississippi river was wide, very very very wide. I would suspect that one day the Atchafalaya will eventually capture the Mississippi river one day as it is the shortest route to the Gulf of Mexico. (The energy grade line is steeper down the Atchafalaya than the Mississippi and the only thing in it's way is the ORCS)

this is a US Corps of Engineers link

https://www.mvn.usace.army.mil/Porta...olBrochure.pdf

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It has been many years ago since I heard this but was once told that if they lost the Morganza structure it would probably be a non recoverable event. In this day and age of technology I find that difficult to believe but it certainly underscores how bad a scenario we are talking about.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by HelmutVII

1973 was a significant event. They almost lost a wing wall for the low sill structure. Follow the link for a brief discussion of the ORCS Morganza complex.

http://www.americaswetlandresources....erControl.html

I drove through the Morganza complex in 2011. It was scary, the Mississippi river was wide, very very very wide. I would suspect that one day the Atchafalaya will eventually capture the Mississippi river one day as it is the shortest route to the Gulf of Mexico. (The energy grade line is steeper down the Atchafalaya than the Mississippi and the only thing in it's way is the ORCS)

this is a US Corps of Engineers link

https://www.mvn.usace.army.mil/Porta...olBrochure.pdf

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The south east (south end of the structure on the river side) wing wall was lost.