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 (Wednesday, June 26, 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 16.04 feet at 1600 hours today with a 24-hour change of + 0.02 feet. The National Weather Service’s Extended Streamflow Prediction forecast remains steady with a very slow fall indicating a reading of 14.7 feet on July 24, 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 |
| 6/26/19 | 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.
