1. US Army Corps of Engineers 2011 Flood Response
BUILDING STRONG®

2. 2011 Flood Fight
The safety of the public is the Corps’ number one priority.
We are prepared to respond and are making informed decisions based on science and engineering.
The Corps continues to work and communicate with our partners and stakeholders, including the National Weather Service, local levee districts, OCPR, DOTD, and GOHSEP.
Currently in Flood Fight stages throughout the Division
Reducing Risk and Damages
The Corps is fully committed to reducing the risk of damages and loss of life from this record breaking flood by using all of the available resources at our disposal to protect the mainline levee system of the MR&T Project.
Hundreds of engineers and technicians from the Mississippi Valley, Lakes and Rivers and Northwestern Divisions, along with scientists from the Corps’ Engineer Research and Development Center, are working around the clock to combat flooding stemming from historic Mississippi River levels.
Public Information
The Corps and its partners are fully committed to keeping the public informed. Both the Corps and its partners are closely monitoring weather and river conditions. We must be prepared to operate flood control features to relieve the high water conditions if the system is to operate as designed.
The decision about what to do is not about one isolated decision – it is about hundreds, if not thousands, of decisions to be made in each community affected by this historic flood event.

3. Percent of Normal

4. Forecasted Crest Stage
STAGES – 4 May 2011
Station FS
Current Stage
Forecasted Crest Stage
Date
Record Stage
Year
Cairo, IL
40.0
60.62
61.62
2 May
59.51
1937
New Madrid, MO
34.0
47.21
50.0
7 May
47.97
Caruthersville, MO
32.0
46.11
49.5
8 May
46.00
Memphis, TN
44.23
48.0
11 May
48.70
Helena, AR
44.0
51.81
56.0
12 May
60.21
Arkansas City, AR
37.0
43.87
53.5
16 May
59.20
1927
Greenville, MS
54.91
64.5
17 May
58.20
1973
Vicksburg, MS
43.0
46.90
57.5
20 May
56.20*
Natchez, MS
51.97
65.0
22 May
58.00
Red River Lndg, LA
53.26
65.5
23 May
61.30
1997
Baton Rouge, LA
35.0
35.79
47.5
48.10
New Orleans, LA
17.0**
14.02
17.0
24 May
21.00
Simmesport, LA
47.0
32.15 --
59.13
Morgan City, LA
4.0
5.38
10.53
* Would have been 62.2' if levees had held
**Note: Levees protect City of New Orleans to 20.0' stage.

5. Project Design Flood New Madrid Floodway Bonnet Carré Spillway Lower
150,000
MISSISSIPPI R
100,000
MISSOURI R
ST. LOUIS
New Madrid
Floodway
CAIRO
2,250,000
OHIO RIVER
550,000
NEW MADRID
490,000
TENNESSEE RIVER
MEMPHIS
HELENA
400,000
540,000
ARKANSAS
CITY
MISSISSIPPI RIVER
2,890,000
GREENVILLE
YAZOO RIVER
VICKSBURG
RED RIVER
West
Atchafalaya
Floodway
Old
River
NATCHEZ
250,000
620,000
Bonnet Carré
Spillway
1,500,000
BATON
ROUGE
600,000
Morganza
Floodway
Wax Lake
Outlet
250,000
LAKE
PONTCHARTRAIN
NEW ORLEANS
581,000
MORGAN
CITY
Lower
Atchafalaya
Floodway
ATCHAFALAYA R
919,000
1,250,000
GULF OF MEXICO

6. These are our internal flow projections as of today and we will send you updated numbers as they change. Note that where project design flood or structure flow capacity is reached, the date of crest reflects the first day we expect that flow to occur. Please let me know if you have any questions.

7. Flood Fight Status Mississippi River
Phase I Flood Fight began 14 March 2011
Currently inspecting from Old River to Venice twice per week
Phase II Flood Fight starts 4 May 2011 in the upper Mississippi sectors
and 6-7 May 2011 in the remaining Mississippi sectors
Bonnet Carre is currently closed, opening will commence between 6-9May.
Atchafalaya Basin
Phase I Flood Fight began 23 March 2011
Currently inspecting from I-10 to Morgan City twice per week
Phase II Flood Fight in the Lower Atchafalaya starts 6 May 2011
Morganza is closed.
New Orleans District EOC open 7 days per week

8. Current conditions at Bonnet Carré
Bonnet Carré Spillway
The spring 2009 high water event was very close to forcing a Bonnet Carré Spillway Operation to prevent the Project Flood discharge at New Orleans from being exceeded. Normal trigger for activation is 1.25 M cfs.
On May 31 the river peaked at M cfs but upriver stages were beginning to fall. Reached 16.5 on Carrolton gauge.
All 9 flood fight sector teams activated and patrolled during the event in close coordination with OCPR and the local levee authorities for joint patrolling efforts.
2008 Opening the Spillway
Opened 160 of 350 Bays on April
Maximum flow of 250,000 cfs
Average flow for the 28 days was 113,000 cfs
River crested in New Orleans at ft on April 26. Corps engineers calculate that crest would have been 17.8 ft without the opening of the levee.
The Corps of Engineers initiated surveys and preliminary investigations for the Bonnet Carré Spillway in Construction of the spillway structure began in 1929 and was completed in The guide levees were completed in 1932, and highway and railroad crossings in The total project cost was $14.2 million.
Distance above New Orleans river miles
Length of weir opening ,000 feet
Number of bays
Width of bays feet
Creosoted timbers per bay (7,000 total)
Floodway design capacity ,000 cfs
(cubic feet per second)
Length miles
Width at river ,700 feet
Width at lake ,400 feet
U.S. lands ,623 acres
Frequency of operation (est.) years
Date Bays open Max. flow (cfs)
1937 Jan. 30 to Mar ,000
1945 Mar. 23 to May ,000
1950 Feb. 10 to Mar ,000
1973 Apr. 8 to June ,000
1975 Apr. 14 to Apr ,000
1979 Apr. 18 to May ,000
1983 May 20 to June ,000
1997 Mar. 17 to Apr ,000
2008 Apr 11 to May ,000
Current conditions at Bonnet Carré
Opening trigger is 1.25 million cfs and rising at Red River Landing

9. Key Messages to Communicate
Date
Action
Responsibility
Key Messages to Communicate
Method
Provide Information Regarding Bonnet Carre SPILLWAY OPENING
(All days indicated at D-Day +/1 since definite start time not known. D= opening date)
D -10 days
EOC notifies MVN Commander on NWS forecasts predictions on river flows at 1.5 million cfs and rising; thus, recommending spillway operation
EOC
 1 - 5
Phone
D - 9 days
MVN Commander gets input from MVD, along with MVN division/office chiefs, project managers; particularly EOC/ED - Hydraulics
Commander/Deputy
D - 8 days
MVN Commander gathers input/comments from all stakeholders (government and non-government organizations and contacts)
D – 6 days
Meeting held with all stakeholders at District Headquarters to discuss spillway recommendation and gather comments
In Person
D – 5 days
MVN Commander requests approval from MRC President/MVD Commander
D – 5 days 
Notify all stakeholders on approval (most of which will already know outcome based on district meeting)
Commander/Deputy EOC OD
D – 4 days 
Notify all media with News Release on spillway operation; providing date/time PA
News Release
D – 4 days
Post News Release on MVN website
IM 
Electronically
D +/- 3 days
Setup video/photo request with IM; media area setup at spillway location
PA/IM
Phone/ /
D +/- 4 days
Respond to media queries
PA, EOC
1 - 5
Phone/In Person

10. Current conditions at Morganza Spillway
The spillway is a floodway, located in Pointe Coupee Parish, used in connection with the Old River Control Complex and the Atchafalaya River. It would divert water from the Mississippi River into the spillway and into the Atchafalaya Basin when Miss. River flows below the Morganza floodway reach 1,500,000 cfs and are forecast to continue to rise.
Morganza was last used in 1973 to relieve pressure from the Old River Control Structure.
The forebay area is a natural floodway that can fill up with water during the Mississippi River high water season.
Morganza Spillway Statistics
Distance above New Orleans: 310 river miles
Length of weir opening: 3,906 feet
Number of gate bays: 125
Width of bays: 28 feet 3 inches, separated by piers 3 feet wide
Floodway design capacity: 600,000 cfs
Length of floodway: approximately 20 miles
Width of floodway at river: approximately 5 feet
U.S. lands: 91,000 acres
Frequency of operation: only once since it opened in 1973 (to relieve pressure from Old River Control Structures)
Talking points:
Morganza, a 3,900 foot structure, was built in 1954 to maintain a flow of 1.5 million cfs below the floodway.
The Morganza Spillway was only operated once in 1973 to relieve pressure from the Old River Control Structure, therefore maintaining the Mississippi River’s course.
About 5,000 acres of the 8,000-acre forebay area is farmland and the farmers are advised each year during high water to remove livestock and equipment when the NWS forecasts river stages that could inundate the forebay area.
The Morganza forebay is a natural floodplain and the farmers are aware of the risks associated with using this land.
The Morganza forebay is privately owned land. The government acquired comprehensive flowage easements on this property in the 1950s to operate the Morganza Floodway.
Flowage easements on the Morganza forebay include the right to:
overflow lands within the floodway with floodwaters of the Mississippi River and Tributaries.
Improve flow conditions within the floodway by performing any required clearing.
control pasturing of animals to limit undergrowth, supervise or forbid timber removal and reforest open lands or allow them to grow up in brush to prevent erosion.
control the building of structures on easement lands.
Opening trigger 1.5 million cfs and rising at Red River Landing

11. Morganza Floodway Operation Timeline
D-10: EOC notifies MVN commander on NWS forecast predictions on river flows at 1.5 million cfs and rising; thus, recommending spillway operation
D-10: Gate operations are checked for functionality
D-8: MVN Commander gets input from all stakeholders.
D-6: MVN Real Estate send out notice of opening to Morganza gates.
D-5: MVN Commander requests approval from MRC President/MVD Commander
D-5: “Potato Ridge” levee is degraded.

12. Discussion Navigation Issues:
High river means faster flow making navigation more challenging and dangerous
High river increases shoaling in South West Pass and dredging to keep channel open will be a challenge