2019 Mississippi River

[HelmutVII]

.....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!!!

Opening is pushed back to June 9 due to the river rising slower than anticipated. Good news for those in the Basin.

[LouisianaB]

Helmut, what would happen should the tropical depression drop significant precipitation on any area of the Mississippi?

[cajunfan79]

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.

[Ragin4U]

https://blogs.nasa.gov/hurricanes/20...tlantic-ocean/

Sounds like a liberal plot.

[billbeck451]

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.

[cajun4life]

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.

We are lucky that Arkansas and Missouri levees have failed.

[HelmutVII]

Helmut, what would happen should the tropical depression drop significant precipitation on any area of the Mississippi?

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.

[billbeck451]

how is the water in the Henderson area, I know it was high earlier during the spring, but haven't heard anything lately

[CharlieK]

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"

[HelmutVII]

I think the official St. Martin parish term for it is "high high"

And that is why they are not too happy about opening Morganza.

[Ragin4U]

I think the official St. Martin parish term for it is "high high"

Nice

[mahtoo]

I think the official St. Martin parish term for it is "high high"

For those not familiar with this area:

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.