The Bonnet Carre Spillway: Phenomenon Explained

[@BobSchuler-t3n]

Enjoy your educational series. When I was a freshman at LSU in the early 70s, I took electives in a geology department about the Mississippi River Delta, and it was very very interesting. I enjoy your series on that subject.

[@nathanirby4273]

I'm working my way through your videos, so I don't know if you have already covered the topic, but it'd be awesome if you covered the ancient Louisianans and their various civilizations from the paleo through the woodland and archaic , maybe visit the different mounds and Poverty point, talk about Watson Brake, and Jonesville, the different cultures like coles creek, plum bayou, Marksville and the hopewellian influence...I think it'd be fascinating and you're an ace presenter

[@paulmayland1015]

I have (3) questions. How does the opening of the spillway effect the coastal towns like Manchac/Akers area? And doesn't the fertilizer runoff problem also effect the Gulf of Mexico where the mouth of the Mississippi meets the Gulf waters? And why aren't these groups going after the Farmers upstream who are actually responsible for the runoff?

[@lorencklein]

1--I don't have a direct answer, but I think in terms of the total volume of the lake it's not enough to cause appreciable flooding; it's more of a relief valve for the river. 2--The Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone is a similar thing as a result of the fertilizers. It's on my long-term video list, but... 3--It's a bit difficult of an issue because normally it doesn't impact Lake Pontchartrain fishermen, and the Congressional lobby for Midwestern farmers is so powerful, so trying to force Federal legislation to make an appreciable impact on fertilizer runoff is essentially nil.

[@lowellmccormick6991]

I commuted between New Orleans and Lafayette during the flood of 1973. The waterflow thru both spillways was incredible. When the river is at high water, the difference in elevation between the top of the river and the top of the lake is substantial. Substantial enough to be scary.

[@lorencklein]

I wished I could have stopped on the side of the Interstate to record it last summer--it was like a rushing torrent you'd associate with a dam bursting or a flash floor, but a mile wide. It was insane.

[@TigerDude333]

Most people in LA pronounce this Bonny Carry.

[@gouldty]

Why wasn't the spillway opened during Katrina?

[@corybroussard9150]

Opening the spillway would not have accomplished anything. Multiple levees and flood walls failed.

[@TheSrSunday]

Another awesome video. The Mississippi impressed me when we were visiting Southern Louisiana. Biggest river I've seen in my life by a large amount. Also, it is the biggest managed river in the world. Well, one could make the point of the Netherlands, a country that is basically a bunch of civil engineering projects, but still...

[@lorencklein]

Once upon a time I lived in the Netherlands and went look at the Zuiderzee Works, which make the Mississippi River control structures seem like playthings. Long-term I want to do a similar series on Dutch flood defences, but I could only do justice if I travelled over there to do it. Maybe my channel gets big enough I can get enough revenue to do it, but until then the outlines for the videos sit on my hard drive.

[@HendrikDaStar]

Great video, I am from the Netherlands, we also have a history of floods and levees which sometimes broke, it is really interesting to see how both Louisiana and the Netherlands use similar technics to prevent floods in the future using spillways.

[@throwsomething]

The 't' is silent in 'Bonnet'. Pronounced "Bonny". You're welcome.

[@shanerogers24]

Love the gratuitous Gannet shot in the background :D

[@lowellmccormick6991]

Your map showed the town of Montz. Montz disappeared in the flood of 1973.

[@lorencklein]

I haven't had the chance to do really deep diving on the building of the spillway, but I saw one person online state that landowners along the river ensured that the spillway wouldn't be build at the crevasse, but on someone else's land down stream. No way for me to corroborate it but that was interesting to see.

[@lowellmccormick6991]

@@lorencklein Actually there are still some homes left in Montz. When the spillway was built in 1927 some families in Montz lost land. Then in 1973 a bunch of sand boils appeared on the dry side of the levee in Montz and 44 families were given a few days to gather their things and get out. A back levee was built before the original levee failed. I read that one guy was a contractor so he jacked his house up and moved it before the deadline. There was an historic marker on Airline Hwy about Montz for a long time but I don't think it is there any longer. Here is some info from someone who is from one of the families impacted by the building of the spillway in 1927 and the building of the back levee in 1973. www.stcharlesparish-la.gov/departments/economic-development-and-tourism/parish-history/town-histories/montz-town-history

[@Boofus]

just gonna say this right now 2 years later montz is literally still there idk what ur smoking

[@ricardoabh3242]

Longtime very interesting Fun French word... Environmental changes are expected because it would be a natural phenomenon but agriculture chemicals is bad. But the structure is not in fault but the agriculture practices

[@carterrichard8472]

Lul the comments full of nerds

[@lorencklein]

Well, I see you're here, so...

[@vanguard9067]

@@lorencklein truth:-)

[@midwesternmonkey3702]

Second

[@holdens5304]

First