2019 Mississippi River

[Boomer]

The number one criteria for deciding whether or not to open up a spillway is if keeping the spillways closed will cause damage to the levees along the river. If the levees are damaged then we will have a serious problem on our hands.

.....I had read/heard that the water eats away the grass on the levies and this allows them to weaken....how do the levies actually get weakened for breaking? I hope this is not too boring for you, but inquisitive minds hope for the dumbest minds at times!!!

[CajunEXPRESS]

They obviously like their oysters more than the land they live on because there is no way they are replacing 1.0 to 1.5 centimeters per year subsidence with those flow rates. Pretty short sighted in my opinion.

Is the river destined to go through the old river structure regardless of man's effort. Naturally we’re reminded of how puny we are with things like yellow stone super volcano likely to destroy 2/3 of the lower 48 at any given moment. Already thousands of years overdue.

[mahtoo]

They obviously like their oysters more than the land they live on because there is no way they are replacing 1.0 to 1.5 centimeters per year subsidence with those flow rates. Pretty short sighted in my opinion.

You're aware of some of the issues involved in projects like this. I'm curious to know whom the majority landowners are in the affected area. Wouldn't surprise me that some out of state corporations own that land. Even if not it's likely property owners are pitted against shrimpers, oyster men, etc. And then you have the agencies:
Corps
USFWS
LDWF
DOTD possibly
Railroad possibly
NMFS
Levee Board
Probably others
All with their own priorities and focus
And then the project has to be funded/cost shared

Sometimes I'm surprised anything gets done at all. I do agree more could be done with respect to sediment transfer but....but....but.....

[mahtoo]

Is the river destined to go through the old river structure regardless of man's effort. Naturally we’re reminded of how puny we are with things like yellow stone super volcano likely to destroy 2/3 of the lower 48 at any given moment. Already thousands of years overdue.

Your question reminds me of the N.O. District Engineer, Colonel ? (don't remember his name) who answered a question during a public hearing where a question was asked about the amount of money being spent to protect Grand Isle. In so many words he said "Grand Isle is a barrier island. If we/you stop spending money to protect and or rebuild it that barrier island will disappear". He was right. In the last 30 years or so many millions of dollars have been spent at Grand Isle.

IMO the same can be said of our many structures and levee systems. As you say we, our structures, levees, etc are puny but I don't think we will see the Miss R going down the Atchafalaya, at least not in my lifetime. As long as we pay attention and spend the money.

Of course, if we have a failure right now like we had years ago on the LDB of the Miss in the vicinity of Montz, LA then it's Katie bar the door. That was a deep seated foundation failure that required a complete levee setback. Luckily the failure occurred at a time when river stages were low and repairs were completed before flood season. Hope I never see that.

[HelmutVII]

Your question reminds me of the N.O. District Engineer, Colonel ? (don't remember his name) who answered a question during a public hearing where a question was asked about the amount of money being spent to protect Grand Isle. In so many words he said "Grand Isle is a barrier island. If we/you stop spending money to protect and or rebuild it that barrier island will disappear". He was right. In the last 30 years or so many millions of dollars have been spent at Grand Isle.

IMO the same can be said of our many structures and levee systems. As you say we, our structures, levees, etc are puny but I don't think we will see the Miss R going down the Atchafalaya, at least not in my lifetime. As long as we pay attention and spend the money.

Of course, if we have a failure right now like we had years ago on the LDB of the Miss in the vicinity of Montz, LA then it's Katie bar the door. That was a deep seated foundation failure that required a complete levee setback. Luckily the failure occurred at a time when river stages were low and repairs were completed before flood season. Hope I never see that.

I think we have a better chance of an errant barge or a ship losing it's steering causing damage to a levee during high water events.

[HelmutVII]

Another useful site. It gives you the state of the Mississippi river at a glance.

http://rivergages.mvr.usace.army.mil...new/layout.cfm

Click "new orleans" then "Mississippi river and passes"

[CharlieK]

IMO the same can be said of our many structures and levee systems. As you say we, our structures, levees, etc are puny but I don't think we will see the Miss R going down the Atchafalaya, at least not in my lifetime. As long as we pay attention and spend the money.

This lifetime prediction made me feel better, till I remembered I don't know how old you are..... :-)

[Cajun90]

If the Old River Control Structure were lost........

https://www.wunderground.com/cat6/If...en=cat6-widget

[mahtoo]

I think we have a better chance of an errant barge or a ship losing it's steering causing damage to a levee during high water events.

Now that is a real possibility I forgot about. It's for that reason that traffic on the river is sometimes stopped.

[mahtoo]

This lifetime prediction made me feel better, till I remembered I don't know how old you are..... :-)

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