Recreational Values
Over the years, the Bonnet Carre' Spillway has developed into an extensively used outdoor recreation area with more than 250,000 visitors enjoying the spillway each year. Corps Park Rangers work on-site to manage the recreational and natural resources of the project, and provide assistance and interpretive services to the visiting public. 

The largest developed in the spillway is located along the lower guide levee adjacent to Highway 61.

Within the spillway are various ecological zones: open grasslands, sand hauling areas, wetlands, forested areas, and small to large bodies of ponded water. These public  lands and waters provide opportunities for fishing, crawfishing, hunting, dog training, camping, wildlife viewing, boating, and picnicking. 

Recreation continues even during project operation.

More specialized activities include retriever ATV and motorcycle riding in designated areas, mountain biking, retriever dog field trials and model airplane flying competitions. The spillway also contains two boat-launching sites, provided by St. Charles Parish, which furnish access to the spillway's various waterways and western Lake Pontchartrain. These recreational activities are made possible through a number of partnerships. Among the most valuable partners are volunteers who assist in the management of the project’s recreational and natural resources.

The spillway’s large open grasslands and year-round ponds provide an ideal place for Vizsla pointers and other dogs to hunt and swim.

Contact
Kathy Gibbs, CEMVN-PA
Chief, Public Affairs Office
New Orleans, LA
504-862-2201
Kathy.Gibbs@usace.army.mil

Updated May 18, 2005