The Corps’ Mississippi Valley New Orleans (MVN) did not open or close any bays on the Bonnet Carré Spillway (Mile 128.8 to 127.3 Above Head of Passes [AHP]) today (Tuesday, June 25, 2019).  The maximum flow above the Bonnet Carré Spillway today was 1.154 million cubic feet per second (cfs) based on the flow measured at Red River Landing (Mile 302.4 AHP), with the calculations and timing adjusted for the downriver flow at Bonnet Carré.  The most recent crest (maximum flow) above the Bonnet Carré occurred between June 16 to June 17 (2019).

The Carrollton Gauge (New Orleans) reading was 15.94 feet at 2000 hours today with a 24-hour change of – 0.22 feet, the National Weather Service’s Extended Streamflow Prediction forecast remains steady with a very slow fall indicating a reading of 15.0 feet on July 23, 2019.

 

BONNET CARRÉ SPILLWAY SECOND OPERATION 2019

 DATE CARROLTON GAUGE (NEW ORLEANS) BAYS OPENED TODAY TOTAL NUMBER OF BAYS OPEN TOTAL NUMBER OF BAYS CLOSED SPILLWAY DISCHARGE CUBIC FEET PER SECOND (cfs)
5/10/19 17.25 feet 60 60 N/A 79,000 cfs
5/11/19 16.80 feet 10 70 N/A 83,000 cfs
5/12/19 16.80 feet 0 70 N/A 86,000 cfs
5/13/19 17.00 feet 58 128 N/A 116,000 cfs
5/14/19 16.75 feet 10 138 N/A 127,000 cfs
5/15/19 16.70 feet 0 138 N/A 122,000 cfs
5/16/19 16.60 feet 0 138 N/A 124,000 cfs
5/17/19 16.60 feet 0 138 N/A 127,000 cfs
5/18/19 16.80 feet 0 138 N/A 142,000 cfs
5/19/19 16.90 feet 10 148 N/A 148,000 cfs
5/20/19 16.80 feet 0 148 N/A 161,000 cfs
5/21/19 16.80 feet 20 168 N/A 161,000 cfs
5/22/19 16.80 feet 0 168 N/A 158,000 cfs
5/23/19 16.80 feet 0 168 N/A 155,000 cfs
5/24/19 16.70 feet 0 168 N/A 158,000 cfs
5/25/19 16.70 feet 0 168 N/A 158,000 cfs
5/26/19 16.60 feet 0 168 N/A 159,000 cfs
5/27/19 16.60 feet 0 168 N/A 158,000 cfs
5/28/19 16.60 feet 0 168 N/A 157,000 cfs
5/29/19 16.60 feet 0 168 N/A 149,000 cfs
5/30/19 16.60 feet 0 168 N/A 145,000 cfs
5/31/19 16.50 feet 0 168 N/A 141,000 cfs
6/1/19 16.50 feet 0 168 N/A 143,000 cfs
6/2/19 16.50 feet 0 168 N/A 135,000 cfs
6/3/19 16.50 feet 0 168 N/A 140,000 cfs
6/4/19 16.40 feet 0 168 N/A 138,000 cfs
6/5/19 16.40 feet 0 168 N/A 136,000 cfs
6/6/19 16.50 feet 0 168 N/A 138,000 cfs
6/7/19 16.60 feet 0 168 N/A 138,000 cfs
6/8/19 16.60 feet 0 168 N/A 144,000 cfs
6/9/19 16.50 feet 0 168 N/A 146,000 cfs
6/10/19 16.60 feet 0 168 N/A 146,000 cfs
6/11/19 16.60 feet 0 168 N/A 147,000 cfs
6/12/19 16.60 feet 0 168 N/A 147,000 cfs
6/13/19 16.60 feet 0 168 N/A 144,000 cfs
6/14/19 16.60 feet 0 168 N/A 147,000 cfs
6/15/19 16.60 feet 0 168 N/A 150,000 cfs
6/16/19 16.50 feet 0 168 N/A 146,000 cfs
6/17/19 16.70 feet 0 168 N/A 147,000 cfs
6/18/19 16.60 feet 0 168 N/A 142,000 cfs
6/19/19 16.50 feet 0 168 N/A 137,000 cfs
6/20/19 16.40 feet 0 168 N/A 131,000 cfs
6/21/19 16.40 feet 0 168 N/A 130,000 cfs
6/22/19 16.35 feet 0 168 N/A 124,000 cfs
6/23/19 16.20 feet 0 168 N/A 115,000 cfs
6/24/19 16.10 feet 0 168 N/A 116,000 cfs
6/25/19 16.10 feet 0 168 N/A 110,000 cfs

The MVN manages the opening and closing of bays on the Bonnet Carré Spillway as a flood control structure to ensure the maximum flow at New Orleans remains at/or below the trigger point flow of 1.25 million cfs in accordance with the approved Bonnet Carré  Spillway Water Control Manual.  The stages below the Spillway(s) will be artificially controlled by the flow diverted from the Mississippi River.

The Morganza Floodway Structure operation is based on a trigger point flow of 1.5 million cfs at Red River Landing and under stage management designed to protect the flood control structures.

The operation of the Morganza Floodway (Spillway) at Mile 280 AHP has been postponed indefinitely:

“The opening of the Morganza Floodway has been postponed indefinitely.  Operation of the structure does not appear necessary, as long as the current forecast holds.  The crest at Morganza was June 15th-16th.”  

 The MVN operated the Bonnet Carré Spillway from February 27 to April 11, 2019, prior to 2019 the Spillway had never been operated in back-to-back years (2018 and 2019).  The required opening of the flood control structure twice in the same year represents another historic first and the Great Flood of 2019 continues to be record setting.  The National Weather Service’s Consecutive Days Above Flood Stage table as prepared today is attached.

Forecast

 Location

Record

(Days/Year)

2019

(Days/Period)

2011

(Days)

1973

(Days)

1927

(Days)

Cairo, IL 138

2019

138

Feb 8th – Today

59 97 76
Memphis, TN 65

1927

39

Feb 19th – Mar 29th

35 64 65
Arkansas City, AR 197

1927

71

Apr 16th – Today

44 72 197
Greenville, MS 128

2019

128

Feb 17th – Today

46 71 115
Vicksburg, MS 185

1927

129

Feb 17th – Today

48 83 185
Natchez, MS 172

2019

172

Jan 4th – Today

53 90 77
Red River Landing, LA 180

2019

180

Dec 27th – Today

59 95 152
Baton Rouge, LA 171

2019

171

Jan 6th – Today

79 99 135

LMRFC Consecutive Days Slide 62519.pptx