Contact: Amanda Jones, 862-1914

 

Sept. 17, 2008

NEW ORLEANS – As a result of water levels subsiding in the Harvey Canal, Col. Alvin B. Lee, New Orleans District commander, ordered the canal gate opened at 7:30 a.m.

 

The gate at the Harvey Canal is opened when water levels in the canal subside below 2 feet and are predicted to remain below that level. The gate takes about 10 minutes to open. Once opened, water pumped into the canal north of the gate by the New Orleans Sewerage and Water Board can free flow into the Gulf of Mexico alleviating the need for Corps pumps to operate at the structure.

 

The gate at the Harvey Canal was closed at 3:30 a.m. September 12, 2008. At the peak level, six hydraulic pumps were pumping 600 cubic feet per second of water from the canal.

 

The Corps’ pumps have a maximum combined capacity of 750 cubic feet per second at the Harvey Ave. Canal.