The Army Corps of Engineers has delayed the opening of the Morganza Flood Control Structure for a second time.
The Corps was originally set to begin opening the structure on Sunday, June 2nd, but later postponed until Thursday, June 6th. Now the Corps is aiming for Sunday, June 9th.
Officials say changing river forecasts are responsible for both delays. The river is not expected to reach the trigger point for operation until a few days later.
Like the Bonnet Carre Spillway downstream, the Morganza Floodway, located upriver from Baton Rouge, helps relieve pressure on Mississippi River levees when the water gets high. Whereas Bonnet Carre diverts water from the river into Lake Pontchartrain, Morganza shunts water through a designated floodway that eventually drains into the Atchafalaya Basin.
In a statement, the Corps said it "only intends to operate the structure when dedded as to not put additional water into the Atchafalaya Basin." Opening Morganza will cause the water to rise several feet in the Basin, distrupting wild crawfish harvesting. It will also destroy about 25,000 acres of crops planted in the designated floodway.
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