The Corps’ Mississippi Valley New Orleans (MVN) began closing bays on the Bonnet Carré Spillway this morning at approximately 1000 hours (Monday, July 22, 2019).
The MVN closed 10 Spillway bays today, reducing the number of open bays to 158 and the closure is expected to be completed by July 28, 2019.
The maximum flow above the Bonnet Carré Spillway (Mile 128.8 to 127.3 Above Head of Passes [AHP]) today was approximately 1.130 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) with a maximum discharge through the Bonnet Carré Spillway of 161,000 cfs.
The National Weather Service’s Extended Streamflow Prediction indicates the Carrollton Gauge (New Orleans) will continue a slow steady fall to 13.0 feet on August 19, 2019.
BONNET CARRÉ SPILLWAY SECOND OPERATION 2019 CLOSURE OPERATIONS
| DATE | CARROLTON GAUGE (NEW ORLEANS) | NUMBER OF BAYS OPEN | NUMBER OF BAYS CLOSED | NUMBER OF BAYSREMAINING OPEN | SPILLWAY DISCHARGE CUBIC FEET PER SECOND (cfs) |
| 7/22/19 | 15.60 feet | 168 | 10 | 158 | 70,000 cfs |
BONNET CARRÉ SPILLWAY SECOND OPERATION 2019 OPENING OPERATIONS
| DATE | CARROLTON GAUGE (NEW ORLEANS) | BAYS OPENED TODAY | TOTAL NUMBER OF BAYS OPEN | SPILLWAY DISCHARGE CUBIC FEET PER SECOND (cfs) |
| 5/10/19 | 17.25 feet | 60 | 60 | 79,000 cfs |
| 5/11/19 | 16.80 feet | 10 | 70 | 83,000 cfs |
| 5/12/19 | 16.80 feet | 0 | 70 | 86,000 cfs |
| 5/13/19 | 17.00 feet | 58 | 128 | 116,000 cfs |
| 5/14/19 | 16.75 feet | 10 | 138 | 127,000 cfs |
| 5/15/19 | 16.70 feet | 0 | 138 | 122,000 cfs |
| 5/16/19 | 16.60 feet | 0 | 138 | 124,000 cfs |
| 5/17/19 | 16.60 feet | 0 | 138 | 127,000 cfs |
| 5/18/19 | 16.80 feet | 0 | 138 | 142,000 cfs |
| 5/19/19 | 16.90 feet | 10 | 148 | 148,000 cfs |
| 5/20/19 | 16.80 feet | 0 | 148 | 161,000 cfs |
| 5/21/19 | 16.80 feet | 20 | 168 | 161,000 cfs |
| 5/22/19 | 16.80 feet | 0 | 168 | 158,000 cfs |
| 5/23/19 | 16.80 feet | 0 | 168 | 155,000 cfs |
| 5/24/19 | 16.70 feet | 0 | 168 | 158,000 cfs |
| 5/25/19 | 16.70 feet | 0 | 168 | 158,000 cfs |
| 5/26/19 | 16.60 feet | 0 | 168 | 159,000 cfs |
| 5/27/19 | 16.60 feet | 0 | 168 | 158,000 cfs |
| 5/28/19 | 16.60 feet | 0 | 168 | 157,000 cfs |
| 5/29/19 | 16.60 feet | 0 | 168 | 149,000 cfs |
| 5/30/19 | 16.60 feet | 0 | 168 | 145,000 cfs |
| 5/31/19 | 16.50 feet | 0 | 168 | 141,000 cfs |
| 6/1/19 | 16.50 feet | 0 | 168 | 143,000 cfs |
| 6/2/19 | 16.50 feet | 0 | 168 | 135,000 cfs |
| 6/3/19 | 16.50 feet | 0 | 168 | 140,000 cfs |
| 6/4/19 | 16.40 feet | 0 | 168 | 138,000 cfs |
| 6/5/19 | 16.40 feet | 0 | 168 | 136,000 cfs |
| 6/6/19 | 16.50 feet | 0 | 168 | 138,000 cfs |
| 6/7/19 | 16.60 feet | 0 | 168 | 138,000 cfs |
| 6/8/19 | 16.60 feet | 0 | 168 | 144,000 cfs |
| 6/9/19 | 16.50 feet | 0 | 168 | 146,000 cfs |
| 6/10/19 | 16.60 feet | 0 | 168 | 146,000 cfs |
| 6/11/19 | 16.60 feet | 0 | 168 | 147,000 cfs |
| 6/12/19 | 16.60 feet | 0 | 168 | 147,000 cfs |
| 6/13/19 | 16.60 feet | 0 | 168 | 144,000 cfs |
| 6/14/19 | 16.60 feet | 0 | 168 | 147,000 cfs |
| 6/15/19 | 16.60 feet | 0 | 168 | 150,000 cfs |
| 6/16/19 | 16.50 feet | 0 | 168 | 146,000 cfs |
| 6/17/19 | 16.70 feet | 0 | 168 | 147,000 cfs |
| 6/18/19 | 16.60 feet | 0 | 168 | 142,000 cfs |
| 6/19/19 | 16.50 feet | 0 | 168 | 137,000 cfs |
| 6/20/19 | 16.40 feet | 0 | 168 | 131,000 cfs |
| 6/21/19 | 16.40 feet | 0 | 168 | 130,000 cfs |
| 6/22/19 | 16.35 feet | 0 | 168 | 124,000 cfs |
| 6/23/19 | 16.20 feet | 0 | 168 | 115,000 cfs |
| 6/24/19 | 16.10 feet | 0 | 168 | 116,000 cfs |
| 6/25/19 | 16.10 feet | 0 | 168 | 110,000 cfs |
| 6/26/19 | 16.10 feet | 0 | 168 | 108,000 cfs |
| 6/27/19 | 16.00 feet | 0 | 168 | 108,000 cfs |
| 6/28/19 | 15.95 feet | 0 | 168 | 106,000 cfs |
| 6/29/19 | 15.95 feet | 0 | 168 | 106,000 cfs |
| 6/30/19 | 15.95 feet | 0 | 168 | 106,000 cfs |
| 7/1/19 | 15.95 feet | 0 | 168 | 110,000 cfs |
| 7/2/19 | 15.95 feet | 0 | 168 | 108,000 cfs |
| 7/3/19 | 15.95 feet | 0 | 168 | 104,000 cfs |
| 7/4/19 | 15.95 feet | 0 | 168 | 103,000 cfs |
| 7/5/19 | 15.95 feet | 0 | 168 | 102,000 cfs |
| 7/6/19 | 15.95 feet | 0 | 168 | 106,000 cfs |
| 7/7/19 | 15.95 feet | 0 | 168 | 109,000 cfs |
| 7/8/19 | 15.95 feet | 0 | 168 | 112,000 cfs |
| 7/9/19 | 15.95 feet | 0 | 168 | 108,000 cfs |
| 7/10/19 | 15.95 feet | 0 | 168 | 110,000 cfs |
| 7/11/19 | 16.10 feet | 0 | 168 | 117,000 cfs |
| 7/12/19 | 16.90 feet | 0 | 168 | 131,000 cfs |
| 7/13/19 | 16.90 feet | 0 | 168 | 133,000 cfs |
| 7/14/19 | 16.90 feet | 0 | 168 | 117,000 cfs |
| 7/15/19 | 16.20 feet | 0 | 168 | 111,000 cfs |
| 7/16/19 | 16.10 feet | 0 | 168 | 106,000 cfs |
| 7/17/19 | 16.10 feet | 0 | 168 | 103,000 cfs |
| 7/18/19 | 16.00 feet | 0 | 168 | 103,000 cfs |
| 7/19/19 | 16.10 feet | 0 | 168 | 103,000 cfs |
| 7/20/19 | 15.90 feet | 0 | 168 | 103,000 cfs |
| 7/21/19 | 15.78 feet | 0 | 168 | 82,000 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 will be artificially controlled by the flow diverted from the Mississippi River via the flood control structure.
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.
Today marks the 74th day of operation of the Historic Second Opening of the Bonnet Carré Spillway in 2019.
