Both of those are spillways designed to divert some of the Mississippi River water in really heavy melts in the spring.

There's a LOT of water coming down from parts of the country northish from here.

What does it mean when they open a spillway?

Well, some of the water is diverted into other routes, and less water comes down the Mississippi. Left to its own devices, I think that where I live (about 13 ft. above sea level) would have have some Mississippi water spilling over were it not for the flood control structures.

There are several other spillways to help relieve the danger to highly developed areas, but people are still going to get wet.

The major state prison (Angola) is endangered. The "residents" there are currently getting lots of exercise filling sandbags. The prison may have to be evacuated, if the flood threat gets severe enough.

Although I do not anticipate flood danger to my little acre, the potential exists for flooding of some roads in the area. Likewise for New Orleans, although it is a bit lower, AND the Mississippi runs right through it.

And (as I reread the beginning) what is a spillway?

It's a potential diversion area that can be flooded with less damage to property than if the river was left to its own devices. There are, of course levees to help contain the rivers as they rise, but there are limits to them also.

The Old River Control Structure, which helps divert "excess" water from the Mississippi to a (usually) smaller river, is scheduled to be opened. That water will cover a large area that has been kept relatively free of residences. (I think that under normal conditions, it's farmland.)

Since I am probably safe from immediate dangers from all these river diversions, I can continue to find this extremely interesting.

I'll be on the lookout for internet sources of information--even if it's just the local paper (New Orleans Times Picayune).


This afternoon I had a bad moment when it looked like the computer was going to be Difficult again. I had a bit of a discussion with it, including threats of another visit from the computer guy, and it went back to behaving. I hope it continues behaving.

I need to watch the weather report this evening carefully to decide whether or not to go in to work tomorrow. I do NOT like being out in rainy weather--much too easy to slip, especially with a cane.

So--the next few days will have lots more interesting bits of flood control information.

And I hope there will be no rain.