BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - Louisiana and parish officials have
opened six gates through Mississippi River levees to send fresh
water into wetlands and try to keep out oil from the Gulf of Mexico
spill.
In addition, authorities are considering whether the Bohemia
Spillway in lower Plaqeminues Parish might be adjusted to release
even more fresh water.
According to the state Office of Coastal Protection and
Restoration, the six diversion structures are now pouring about
18,900 cubic feet of water per second from the river into the
wetlands of St. Charles, St. Bernard and Plaquemines Parishes.
That's more than 141,000 gallons per second.
Three diversions are on the east side of the river and three on
the west side.
The coastal office says it worked with the state Department of
Transportation and Development opened locks on the east bank in
lower Plaquemines Parish to send fresh water into the Breton Sound
area.
When the Mississippi River gets high, water flows through
culverts along a 12-mile stretch of earthen structures to the
Bohemia Spillway.
Details of how it might be adjusted were unavailable.



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