Bonnet Carre Spillway closure procedures begin

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers New Orleans District began the closing process at Bonnet Carre Spillway yesterday, based on the reduced flows in the Mississippi River at Red River Landing.

The Army Corps will continue to assess conditions of the Mississippi River and perform closure operations as the river flow rates continue to fall.

At the Mississippi River’s peak flow 90 bays were open on the structure with a discharge of 80,000 cubic feet per second being diverted through the spillway.

The Bonnet Carre Spillway is designed to ensure that a maximum river flow of 1.25 million cubic feet per second is passed through the Mississippi River and tributaries system at New Orleans.