The opening of the Morganza Spillway has been postponed indefinitely. Army Corps of Engineers spokesperson Ricky Boyett says the water levels on the Mississippi River are coming in a little lower than originally projected.
“We’re not going to open the spillway unless we have to, but I want to stress that we are in for a long, high river, and we’ll have to continue to monitor it and reevaluate on a daily basis,” said Boyett.
Boyett says it is possible the opening will still have to take place depending on weather conditions producing a rain event that requires the operation. Officials are monitoring the levels on at the Red River Landing, which is north of the spillway, to make sure the river level does not surpass the 62-foot mark.
“That would put us back in that position where there is a risk of overtopping the Morganza control structure,” said Boyett.
Boyett says the Corps is working as a 24/7 operation inspecting the levee to make sure the structure is in good shape.
“There’s no real major concerns for the area, but the key will be that we stay out there and we stay in front of it, and we work with the levee districts to address any issues,” said Boyett.
Nearly a third of the 112 square miles of the spillway is used as farmland. The postponement is good news for farmers whose crops would have been lost by spillway flooding.
