NEW ORLEANS – The opening of the Morganza Floodway by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on Saturday, May 14, is currently streaming live on the internet. The opening of the Morganza Floodway is expected to occur anytime between 3:00 and 5:00 p.m. today and can be found at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/morganza.
The Morganza Floodway is located 186 river miles above New Orleans on the west bank of the river in Pointe Coupee Parish. Intended to operate during emergency flooding, the purpose of the Floodway is to divert excess floodwater from the Mississippi River into the Atchafalaya Basin. It was constructed in 1954 to maintain a flow of 1.5 million cfs below the floodway and has only been operated once before in 1973 to relieve pressure on the Low Sill Structure at the Old River Control Structure.