DIVERTING WATER
Southeast Louisiana’s Bonnet Carré Spillway
American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) takes flight in front of Bonnet Carré Spillway gates, Norco, Louisiana.
Just upriver from New Orleans in Norco, Louisiana, the 350 gates of the Bonnet Carré Spillway stand ready to divert a portion of the Mississippi River when it rises above flood stage and threatens the city and other nearby communities.
Despite living in the area for more than half of my life, I first visited the Spillway in early 2019 after learning that it is a hotspot for one of my bird crushes — white pelicans. Around the same time, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced that it was opening the Spillway gates as the Mississippi River crept above the flood level. Pelicans aside, I felt compelled to witness this human effort to control the powerful Mississippi River.
I also was witnessing the reality that the river has reached flood stage more and more often in recent years, with 2019 marking the first time in history that the spillway was opened twice in a single year and 2020 marking the first consecutive-year opening. Scientists attribute the increase in Mississippi River flooding to past construction of levee systems upriver, changed land use for urban development, and climate change. It struck me that the human manipulation of the river’s path, at least in part, caused the need for another man-made manipulation when emergencies occur.
But not all diversion projects are the same. Right now, Louisiana is reviewing a large diversion project with the very different goal of returning a portion of the river to its natural path. Allowing the river to flow where it would have but for the upstream levee systems will provide direly needed sediment to rebuild coastal wetlands and reestablish some of the natural flood mitigation that has been lost. It is a long-term plan that follows nature’s lead, instead of fighting against it.
Rooted in my love of birds and other wildlife, I have begun exploring the environment that we all share, recognizing that their habitat and ours are one. As this project grows, I hope to highlight more of the interconnectedness between humans and wildlife around southeast Louisiana.
All images are copyrighted © 2019-2021 Elizabeth Acevedo. All rights reserved.
For image licensing or other business inquiries, contact me at elizabeth@elizabethacevedophotography.com