re: Morganza Spillway may or may not open for a 3rd time -- lack of clear info from ACoE

quote:

---

You do realize that with controlled flooding you can slow the pace and take strain off of the levees

---

Riiiiight. Where is the water going to go though?

I guess I just don't follow where you expect to store a volume of water that would make a difference.

The volume through those spillways is immense.

Tucked away in the info about this Morganza opening is this scary nugget:

quote:

---

the corps believes the overtopping might occur even before the river reaches a flow speed of 1.5 million cubic feet along the structure, which is the usual trigger for opening gates.

---

That is a big deal. The level of the river is higher that expected for a given flowrate. This is due to sedimentation and the riverbed getting higher while levees and surrounding structures settle due to subsistence.

If they are so worried about it, why would they wait until June 2nd to open it?
I’m guessing it’s not all that bad

Exactly! The more I learn about what is happening to the river and the controls we have in place - and how they are becoming more and more inadequate year after year due to sedimentation - I am alarmed nothing is really being done to handle this long term. This is only going to get worse every decade. I am not an expert but it seems there are only a few options:

1.) Dredge the river all the way to the gulf like nothing has never been dredged in the history of mankind. Lower the riverbed somehow, in other words.

2.) Continue to build and reinforce levees and control structures higher and higher. Possibly even build redundant structures as backups. This seems like a risky path forward, but is a possible way to deal with the problem.

3.) Allow the river to go down the Atchafalaya in a controlled but permanent manner. This seems like the inevitable outcome and lowest initial cost (but likely the highest long term cost to society).

quote:

---

Where did you read this?

---

Sorry forgot to link.

https://www.nola.com/environment/2019/05/another-mississippi-rise-threatens-to-trigger-morganza-spillway-opening.html

That should be updated. The crest in april/march was 44+ feet.

First they will waste money on option 2

When they realize that the river still wants to divert and that option 3 might still happen, state and fed money will pour in for option 1

A diversion above Memphis that directs water east toward the Tenn-Tom waterway would take pressure off by diverting water out of the MS River and into to the Mobile Bay basin.

quote:

---

I think option 1 would be the smartest path, but I dont know how if it is even feasible or possible.

---

At this point, I don't know. But if we had been keeping it clear all along, with annual maintenance dredging, just like we do south of NOLA, then it would be very possible.