Spillway could be open for several weeks, Corps says
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will begin opening the Bonnet Carre Spillway this Sunday (Jan. 10) at about 10 a.m. to relieve pressure on main line levees, maintain river stages and regulate the flow of the Mississippi River from the spillway southward.
According to a press release from the Corps, opening the spillway will keep the volume of the Mississippi River flow at New Orleans from exceding 1.25 million cubic feet per second, and the spillway may be open for several weeks.
For details about deer hunting closures in the spillway, click here. To see what kind of effects the opening might have on speckled trout fishing in Lake Pontchartrain, click here.
Media and the general public are allowed to view the spillway opening from the Project Office, located at 16302 River Road in Norco. Drones and other unmanned aerial systems are not permitted to fly in the area during the opening, the release states.
The Corps has a detailed environmental monitoring plan in place that will assess water quality, dissolved oxygen, sedimentation and recreation, both within the spillway as well as Lake Pontchartrain, according to the release.
All third party users and grantees should take immediate steps to remove their movable property and protect existing facilities and immovable property within the spillway. In addition, all public access areas within the spillway, including the public boat launches, Lower Guide Levee Road, and the St. Charles Parish Recreation Area near U.S. Highway 61 will be closed beginning on Jan 10 until further notice.
