Time:
04:15 PM - 05:15 PM
Date:
20 October 2023

Bonnet Carre Spillway

History & Heritage

Most locals think of the Bonnet Carre Spillway as a place to ride dirt bikes, fly personal drones, or as a source of river sand to fill in low spots in their yard. Most Americans haven't even heard of it. But the ninety year old Spillway has a long history of protecting communities at the lowest end of the Mississippi River from floods. This presentation will tell the Bonnet Carre's story, from its birth as part of a much larger system (the MR&T Project) designed to protect our nation from ever having to suffer through another flood like that of 1927 to its unprecedented openings of twice in 2019. The presentation will also cover some of the remarkable engineering used in the design and construction of the spillway and the current challenges with its operation.

PDH 1

Speaker(s)