2011 Mississippi River Spring Floods

[HelmutVII]

After reading this thread I can see that there might be some confusion between Old river Control Structure and Morganza Spillway. These are two separate facilities. The Morganza spillway is between Morganza and Batchelor on La Highway 1. The Old river Control Structure complex includes the original 1962 structures in addition to the auxiliary structures and the Old River Control Structure locks. The locks are upstream of Morganza almost right across the river from Angola State Prison. The remainder of the complex is further up stream from the locks on La Highway 15.

The structure that, in all probability, will be opened is the Morganza facility.

Bonnet Carre' spillway is upstream of New Orleans just east of Norco.

[Boomer]

_ After reading this thread I can see that there might be some confusion between Old river Control Structure and Morganza Spillway. These are two separate facilities. The Morganza spillway is between Morganza and Batchelor on La Highway 1. The Old river Control Structure complex includes the original 1962 structures in addition to the auxiliary structures and the Old River Control Structure locks. The locks are upstream of Morganza almost right across the river from Angola State Prison. The remainder of the complex is further up stream from the locks on La Highway 15.

The structure that, in all probability, will be opened is the Morganza facility.

Bonnet Carre' spillway is upstream of New Orleans just east of Norco. _

Man --thanks so much for your knowledge and sharing of it concerning this development---Would it be possible to show a RIVER MAP of what is happening---I can hardly checkout the Rivers on the road maps much less the spill ways---Also do you know where the levees were blown in Rising Tide days???? What a great read!!!!

[CajunAmos]

After reading this thread I can see that there might be some confusion between Old river Control Structure and Morganza Spillway. These are two separate facilities. The Morganza spillway is between Morganza and Batchelor on La Highway 1. The Old river Control Structure complex includes the original 1962 structures in addition to the auxiliary structures and the Old River Control Structure locks. The locks are upstream of Morganza almost right across the river from Angola State Prison. The remainder of the complex is further up stream from the locks on La Highway 15.

The structure that, in all probability, will be opened is the Morganza facility.

Bonnet Carre' spillway is upstream of New Orleans just east of Norco.

Just west or Norco, and east of Montz.

[CharlieK]

Use the map feature on Bing, you can zoom into the control structures, locks, the further south morganza and bonnet carret.

What would be expected impact of the river changing course on Loreauville, New Iberia? I know Morgan city would be underwater and I guess berwick and Patterson, but what about further up the teche?
igeaux.mobi

[HelmutVII]

_ Just west or Norco, and east of Montz. _

You are correct, I was going to say that Norco is east of the spillway.

[HelmutVII]

_ Man --thanks so much for your knowledge and sharing of it concerning this development---Would it be possible to show a RIVER MAP of what is happening---I can hardly checkout the Rivers on the road maps much less the spill ways---Also do you know where the levees were blown in Rising Tide days???? What a great read!!!! _

I was going to post a Google Earth aerial but it had to cover an area so big you couldn't see anything. There aren't that many familiar land marks in the area. Best thing to do is to find Morganza on Google earth or Bing and follow La Hwy 1 North.

[biged05]

He guys, haven't been on in a while since i've been so busy. Someone told me there was a good thread here that is right up my ally. I'll throw in my $.02, and parden me if I restate some things b/c I just read 4+ pages of stuff, but I think there is some things that are not quite correct unless i'm mis-understanding what some of you are saying.

They will start opening Bonne Carre on Monday monring. It has not been officially decided if Morganza will be opened yet. That IS one huge decision, but that is what it was put there for. Morgan city is at a huge risk "if" they do, but there is a lot more protection than there was in 1973, and that actually goes for the whole system. The areas around Morgan City are what is really at risk. Once the water is past the protected areas, it starts flowing back up through the swamps and bayous through Stephensville and Amelia.

The reason it was opened in 1973 was to save the Low sill structure at Old River. It releived pressure on that structure. The Miss. will not try and re-route itself through the Atch. b/c of Morganza being opened, it actually is more of a risk if it isn't like in 1973. Morganza helps divert water away from Baton Rouge and New Orleans between the East Atch River levee and the East Atch. Basin protection levee. Then water will flow back up on the West side of the River once it gets past the river levees.

As far as blowing levees, everybody wants to jump on that rumor bandwagon and speculate where a levee will be blown, and lately i've heard some real off the wall places. This is how the system works, the Miss. flows through to the gulf from up north and 30% is diverted through the Atch. 70% staying in the Miss., if more than 1.25 Mill cfs (cubic feet per second) is flowing past Bonnet Carre than it is opened. Once there is more than 1.5 Mill cfs flowing past Morganza is when there needs to be a decision on opening it or not. It can divert about 600,000 cfs and the Old river system about 620,000 cfs. Once those levels are reached is when there is talk about blowing a levee, but not just anywhere and it woulnd't flood anything outside the West Protection levees, the levee that would be blown is a fuse plug levee that lies between the West Atch. River levee and West Atch. Basin Protection levee in Simmsport. In my personal opinion if that were needed, there would be a guy building a really big boat and loading animals on it somewhere!

I hope I Explained that clearly. I was typing fast and there is way too much stuff going through this head right now.

[Zeebart21]

_ He guys, haven't been on in a while since i've been so busy. Someone told me there was a good thread here that is right up my ally. I'll throw in my $.02, and parden me if I restate some things b/c I just read 4+ pages of stuff, but I think there is some things that are not quite correct unless i'm mis-understanding what some of you are saying.

They will start opening Bonne Carre on Monday monring. It has not been officially decided if Morganza will be opened yet. That IS one huge decision, but that is what it was put there for. Morgan city is at a huge risk "if" they do, but there is a lot more protection than there was in 1973, and that actually goes for the whole system. The areas around Morgan City are what is really at risk. Once the water is past the protected areas, it starts flowing back up through the swamps and bayous through Stephensville and Amelia.

The reason it was opened in 1973 was to save the Low sill structure at Old River. It releived pressure on that structure. The Miss. will not try and re-route itself through the Atch. b/c of Morganza being opened, it actually is more of a risk if it isn't like in 1973. Morganza helps divert water away from Baton Rouge and New Orleans between the East Atch River levee and the East Atch. Basin protection levee. Then water will flow back up on the West side of the River once it gets past the river levees.

As far as blowing levees, everybody wants to jump on that rumor bandwagon and speculate where a levee will be blown, and lately i've heard some real off the wall places. This is how the system works, the Miss. flows through to the gulf from up north and 30% is diverted through the Atch. 70% staying in the Miss., if more than 1.25 Mill cfs (cubic feet per second) is flowing past Bonnet Carre than it is opened. Once there is more than 1.5 Mill cfs flowing past Morganza is when there needs to be a decision on opening it or not. It can divert about 600,000 cfs and the Old river system about 620,000 cfs. Once those levels are reached is when there is talk about blowing a levee, but not just anywhere and it woulnd't flood anything outside the West Protection levees, the levee that would be blown is a fuse plug levee that lies between the West Atch. River levee and West Atch. Basin Protection levee in Simmsport. In my personal opinion if that were needed, there would be a guy building a really big boat and loading animals on it somewhere!

I hope I Explained that clearly. I was typing fast and there is way too much stuff going through this head right now. _

Guys just an FYI, Big Ed has an engineering degree from UL(He is a monstrous Cajun Fan). He now works for the Corp of Engineers. I figure with him, Helmut, Amos, Civil and the rest who post here...we are in great shape, info wise!
Big E, glad to see you still check us out buddy!!

Z

[biged05]

_ Guys just an FYI, Big Ed has an engineering degree from UL(He is a monstrous Cajun Fan). He now works for the Corp of Engineers. I figure with him, Helmut, Amos, Civil and the rest who post here...we are in great shape, info wise!
Big E, glad to see you still check us out buddy!!

Z _

Z,

Shhhh, that was a secret I try and check this out as often as I can, just been a bit busy lately!

[Zeebart21]

_ Z,

Shhhh, that was a secret I try and check this out as often as I can, just been a bit busy lately! _

Good to hear from you big man! Look forward to seeing you this fall!

Z

[biged05]

_ Good to hear from you big man! Look forward to seeing you this fall!

Z _

I'll see you there. I'd say come hell or highwater, but I don't want to take any chances...

[CharlieK]

I did not think opening morganza would cause the miss to reroute. What I meant was what happens if one day all these structures and levees and spillways don't work as planned and the river DOES reroute? What goes under water?
igeaux.mobi