The Mississippi River may have hit its highest level, as the river crests, while half of the bays of the Bonnet Carre Spillway remain open to relieve pressure and keep river levels lower. The Army Corps of Engineers believe that no more bays will need to be opened to allow the massive runoff into Lake Pontchartrain.

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Bonnet Carre Spillway

“Right now, we're not planning on opening any more bays,” Vic Landry, a Corps engineer, said. “We've got 160 bays currently open, and with this anticipated crest, we're not anticipating any more openings.” 

Once the river begins falling, the Corps will begin closing bays on the Spillway.  “I'd say probably 2-4 weeks,” Landry said of when the bays could begin closing. “The forecast could change, and that influences us, but when we do start to close, we can have it closed in a couple of days."

Environmental groups and fisherman hope the Spillway closes as soon as possible, allowing the brackish water of Lake Pontchartrain to recover from deluge of river water that it has received the past few weeks.  The invasion of river water effects wildlife that is accustomed to the salty water of the lake.

One concern for the Corps is the Mississippi River falling too fast.

“What we do not want is a rapid fall because we do have problems if it falls too rapidly, then it has a tendency to pull the levee with it,” Michael Lowe of the Corps said, “and a lot of our major slides have occurred on a down river, a falling river."

Predictions are that river will hold its current level for the near future, which at the Carrollton gauge is just below 17 feet, the official flood stage.

“If you look upriver from here,” Lowe said, “the river is starting to fall.”

With Mississippi being so high, people along the river have become concerned with seepage through the levees.  People have reported seepage in Algiers.

“It was hit repeatedly by barges,” John Rubin of Algiers, “and the spots that were hit by barges were patched with rip-rap, but have not been repaired, and when I see that leakage, I realize that some leaking may be normal, but I felt I should report it.”

Corps officials said that there is no reason for concern with seepage.  “At this time, there is no reason to worry with the seepage that we see,” Lowe said. “And from this point on, the river will be going down, the seepage goes away. It should continue to decline."

Lowe said post-Katrina more people are concerned with the safety and security of the levees, especially when the river is so high and they see water seeping through.

“The conditions of the levee right now are very good,” Lowe said.

Once the Spillway is closed the Corps will begin cleaning the area from debris, so that it can be used by residents again.