Mighty Mississippi

Historical, yes...Natural...yes.
Recently, history was made in the area as the Bonnet Carre Spillway was opened for the first time since 1997. This somewhat radical step was taken due to the swelling Mississippi River. The spillway was designed to alleviate pressure on the areas levee system and to prevent flooding in New Orleans. The first of the 20 ft wide bays (380 in all) were opened on the 11th of April and more will likely be opened in the following days as the river is expected to crest sometime next week. The water that is diverted through the spillway flows into Lake Pontchartrain which is located to the north of New Orleans.

The first picture is taken from the levee system here in "The Rouge" and the tree in the middle right of the photograph is normally exposed. Often times there are picnic's its shade, now its a good tie off for a boat. The barges in the photograph are located (though elevated) where the river normally flows, pretty impressive.

The second picture was taken at sunset in the downtown area of "The Rouge" and made for a nice shot. The levee along the waterfront downtown has steps for viewing activities that take place on the river. All but the top couple are now completely submerged, including these hand rails. Its hard to fathom all this water flowing south towards the Gulf of Mexico, but it is easy to see how the Mississippi got its reputation of being 'Mighty.'