Barry delays closure of Bonnet Carre Spillway

GULFPORT (WXXV) – In yet another delay, the Bonnet Carre Spillway will remain open for now. This according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in an announcement made yesterday.

Several weeks ago, we reported the spillway could be closing in the second week of July, as the Corps monitored flood levels slowly dropping along the Mississippi River last month.

Tuesday, Corps officials said now, it may be July 28th before the decision is made to start closing bays of the Bonnet Carre Spillway. That’s because rainfall dumped across the region as Barry passed through. Corps officials say they will continue to monitor the river, and once it goes down to 21 feet at the spillway, they will start the process of closing the spillway bays.

Meanwhile, trillions of gallons of fresh water continue to spew into the Mississippi Sound from the spillway for a record amount of time, killing Coast marine life, tourism and business.

For months, Mississippi’s top leaders, including the governor and the secretary of state, have pleaded with the Corps and Mississippi River Valley authority to allow a Mississippi representative to have a say in the decision-making process when it comes to opening and closing the Bonnet Carre Spillway. So far, their pleas have not been granted.