Corps postpones opening of Morganza Spillway to June 6

The Morganza Spillway will not be opened on Sunday (June 2) as previously scheduled. It is now planned to be opened next Thursday (June 6).

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers made the decision just an hour or so ago, based on new projections that the high water levels expected to reach the control structure by June 5 will not arrive until June 9, a Corps spokesman said.

With that being the case, the Corps will start its slow release of water on June 6 instead of June 2.

“The lesson we learned in 2011 is that we need to slowly operate the structure over several days,” the spokesman said. “By slowly increasing the water level by a foot at a time, it gives the wildlife and those affected more time to evacuate the area with less distress.”

The plan is to open floodgates three days in advance of the high water to allow water to slowly enter the floodway and avoid the prospect of high river elevations overtopping the control structure.

Readers of the Avoyelles Journal are forewarned that the front page story of the June 2 edition was written when it was believed the spillway would be opening that day.

Press time for that newspaper was earlier today, shortly before the Corps made its decision.

For our readers, all we can say is that is always a possibility when a newspaper prints a few days ahead of time.

Below is a link to the Corps of Engineers official statement on the postponing:
https://www.mvn.usace.army.mil/Media/News-Releases/Article/1861810/updat...

The information in the story, for the most part, is not incorrect -- just premature.