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Jindal Announces the Morganza Spillway Will Be Opened

Posted on May 13, 2011 in Local Issues

In a press conference earlier today, Governor Jindal stated that the Army Corps of engineers will be opening the Morganza spillway sometime this weekend. The Atchafalaya River basin areas that will be affected by the gates opening have begun evacuation plans. [caption id="attachment_2008" align="alignright" width="300"] Photo Courtesy of nola.com[/caption] In an effort to save both the city and the basin communities, such as Butte Larose and Melville, the Corps will only partially open the Morganza, rather than unleashing its full capacity of 300,000 cubic feet of water per second into the rural communities. The original plan was to open the flood gate to half capacity, but recently the Corps has stated intentions to harness a quarter. Experts are predicting that this will keep the water level in New Orleans around the current 17 foot height while still sparing the basin areas from major flooding. After the Morganza diverts 75,000 cubic feet per second, the Bonnet Carre will drain an additional 250,000 cubic feet into the lake. The Corps is currently inspecting the levees for any sign of levee damage from the heightened water level, which are currently at the official flood levels. A trip to the top of any levee in the city gives a stunning and alarming view of the river. The levels are expected to peak over the weekend, and with heavy rain predicted, we at Bloom Legal hope that everyone avoids damage and stays safe.

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