MS Lt Gov threatens legal action if Bonnet Carré Spillway is opened

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As water levels rise along the Mississippi River, threatening flooding, Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann is urging the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to exhaust all possible flood control options before considering opening the Bonnet Carré spillway.

Officials are gearing up for the river to reach its highest levels in recent years near New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, prompting concerns of the infamous Bonnet Carré Spillway being utilized to reduce flood concerns.

Hosemann, recognizing the detrimental impact the spillway’s various openings have had on aquatic life in the Mississippi Sound and the region’s economy, is asking the USACE to refrain from introducing fresh water from the Mississippi River into the saltwater body. Instead, he is calling on the federal agency to utilize other water diversion methods.

“Repeated diversions of Mississippi River freshwater into the Mississippi Sound have devastated Mississippi’s coastal ecosystem, crippled our seafood industry, endangered public health, and severely harmed our tourism economy,” Hosemann wrote in a letter penned to Col. Cullen A. Jones, the Commander & District Engineer of the USACE’s New Orleans District.

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Instead of opening the Bonnet Carré Spillway, Hosemann and Mississippi wildlife advocates have offered the following alternatives:

Immediate utilization of the Morganza Spillway to direct excess flow through the Atchafalaya Basin instead of into the Mississippi Sound

Emergency dredging of the Mississippi River both south of the Bonnet Carré and near the river’s mouth to increase conveyance and avoid spillway use

Utilization of the Old River control structure for diversion of flood waters prior to reaching the Bonnet Carré

Coordinated, timed reservoir releases upriver to flatten flood peaks before they reach the lower valley

“Mississippi is willing to partner on engineering evaluations, restoration plans, and infrastructure enhancements to achieve a more equitable and scientifically sound approach. But we will no longer silently bear the brunt of decisions made without regard to our waters, our wildlife, and our citizens,” Hosemann added.

“If this federal decision-making process continues to ignore Mississippi’s rights and interests, as well as the devastating effects on marine life, we will pursue every legal and political remedy available.”

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