In 1942 part of the flow of the Atchafalaya River was diverted through Wax Lake to the Gulf of Mexico further west. For details. The Atchafalaya Basin comprises an area of 860,000 acres of swamps, lakes and water prairies. Enjoy Million-Dollar Views with this unique Riverfront House outside the levee wall in Morgan City, LA! 64: The river will reach the top of the protection of Cairo. Productivity from these areas resulted in large amounts of nutrients being discharged from the river system into the Gulf of Mexico. Structures on the river side of protection walls in Morgan City and Berwick will be under water. Water from parts or all of 31 states drains into the Mississippi River, and creates a drainage basin over 1,245,000 square miles in size. River shrimp are the ticket to big blue and channel catfish catches on the Atchafalaya River in Morgan City for the next 10 weeks. Latitude/Longitude Disclaimer: The gauge location shown in the above map NOTE: Forecasts for the Atchafalaya River at Morgan City are issued routinely year-round. Structures on the river side of protection walls in Morgan City and Berwick will be under water. The Atchafalaya River Basin in south Louisiana is a mystical place. Floodwall gates should be closed by the 5 foot stage to protect against higher stages. Site GPS Coordinates: 29.694958, -91.210171 Closest Address: 624 Front Street, Morgan City, LA Driving Directions: From Baton Rouge: Take I-10 W across Mississippi River Bridge. Required fields are marked *. Buildings at the foot of Ann Street on the river side of the flood wall will flood as water overtops the Rio Oil Company dock. This data should not be used as a determination of river or water safety during boating, fishing or other water activities. 56: U.S. Highway 51 near Wickliffe is flooded. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. The National Weather Service prepares its forecasts and other services in collaboration with agencies like the US Geological Survey, US Bureau of Reclamation, US Army Corps of Engineers, Natural Resource Conservation Service, National Park Service, ALERT Users Group, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and many state and local emergency managers across the country. The first Atchafalaya River levee or wall constructed in 1946 was 13 feet tall on both sides of the river. The flow past Baton Rouge peaked at 1.38 million cubic feet per second (ft3/s) on May 13. Water from parts or all of 31 states drains into the Mississippi River, and creates a drainage basin over 1,245,000 square miles in size. Located in south central Louisiana, it is a combination of wetlands and river delta area where the Atchafalaya River and the Gulf of Mexico converge. Horizontal Datum: Once in Morgan City, LA-70 W becomes Marguerite Street. Boating. Forecast Issued: Apr 30, 2023 10:24 AM -0500. To keep the Mississippi in its current channel, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers mandates that only 30 percent of the rivers flowabout 440,000 cubic feet per secondis allowed down the Atchafalaya. In this ecologically significant area maintains delicate ecosystems while providing . But to fully comprehend and appreciate the magnificence of the Atchafalaya, you must journey back to when the Atchafalaya was as nomadic as its people. Many of the original freshwater wetlands, riparian zones and adjacent streams and tributaries along the Mississippi have been disconnected from the river by levees and other engineering modifications. The Bonnet Carre was fully opened between April 7 and June 14 for a record 75 days. Mississippi River at Tarbert Landing. The Mississippi is one of the most heavily engineered rivers in the United States. This volume is regulated at the Old River Control Structure near Simmesport. Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Task Force. The Atchafalaya became a main distributary of the Mississippi in 1839 to 1849 when locals removed a huge log jam (the Great Raft) that was obstructing the Atchafalaya River. Water data back to 1956 are available online. Subsequent floods resulted in its redesign and expansion. The Mississippi River originates as a tiny outlet stream from Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota. at Darlington. The river is formed near Simmesport at the confluence of the Red River with the Mississippi, where the Mississippi connects to the Red River by the 7-mile-long (11km) canalized Old River (part of the Old River Control Structure). Lower Atchafalaya River at Morgan City, LA - USGS Water Data for the Nation Important Legacy real-time page 7 days 30 days 1 year Lower Atchafalaya River at Morgan City, LA - 07381600 April 20, 2023 - April 27, 2023 Apr 21 Apr 22 Apr 23 Apr 24 Apr 25 Apr 26 Apr 27 0.00 0.20 0.40 0.60 0.80 1.00 No data available Value Status Time Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. navigation and prevent destructive floods; a tremendous aid to the Army Corps of Engineers. Morgan City Area Survey title: Survey date: Sheet Name River Mile: PDF: XYZ: SHP: Atchafalaya River Above Stout's Pass - Sh. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS Atchafalaya is the nation's largest river swamp, containing almost one million acres of vibrant bottomland hardwoods, swamps, bayous, and backwater lakes. If the Mississippi River were ever to change course again, as it did periodically before human intervention, the river would follow its natural inclination and essentially become the Atchafalaya River, passing directly through this area. An official website of the United States government. [3] Out of the seven largest floods on the Mississippi between 1927 and 1997, the 1973 event ranked third in both volume discharged and duration but only sixth in flood height. Louisiana Highway 77 at Bayou Plaquemines, CAP Section 14, Channel Improvement and Stabilization Program, IER 1 - LaBranche Wetlands Levee, St. Charles Parish, Louisiana, IER 2 - West Return Floodwall, Jefferson and St. Charles Parishes, Louisiana, IER 3 - Lakefront Levee, Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, IER 4 - New Orleans Lakefront Levee, Orleans Parish, Louisiana, IER 5 - Outfall Canal Closure Structures, Orleans Parish, Louisiana, IER 6 - Citrus Lakefront Levee, Orleans Parish, Louisiana, IER 7 - New Orleans East Levee, Orleans Parish, Louisiana, IER 8 - Bayou Bienvenue & Bayou Dupre Control Structures, St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, IER 9 - Caernarvon Floodwall, St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, IER 10 - Chalmette Loop Levee, St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, IER 11 - IHNC Navigable Floodgates, Orleans and St. Bernard Parishes, IER 12 - Harvey & Algiers Canal Levee & Floodwall, Jefferson, Orleans and Plaquemines Parishes, Louisiana, IER 13 - Hero Canal Levee & Eastern Terminus, Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, IER 14 - Harvey to Westwego Levee, Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, IER 15 - Lake Cataouatche Levee, Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, IER 16 - Western Terminus Levee, Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, IER 17 - Company Canal Floodwall, Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, IER 18 - Government Furnished Borrow Materials, IER 19 - Pre-Approved Contractor Furnished Borrow Material, IER 22 - Government Furnished Borrow Material #2, IER 23 - Pre-Approved Contractor Furnished Borrow Material #2, IER 25 - Government Furnished Borrow Material #3, IER 26 - Pre-Approved Contractor Furnished Borrow Material #3, IER 27 - Outfall Canal Remediation, Jefferson and Orleans Parishes, Louisiana, IER 28 - Government Furnished Borrow Material #4, IER 29 - Contractor Furnished Borrow Material #4, IER 30 - Contractor Furnished Borrow Material #5, IER 31 - Contractor Furnished Borrow Material #7, IER 32 - Contractor Furnished Borrow Material #6, IER 33 - WBV and MRL Co-Located Levees, Plaquemines and Orleans, Louisiana, IER 35 - Contractor Furnished Borrow Material #8, Hillaryville Pump Station Force Main Project, Cultural, Environmental and Natural Values, NWS Lower Ohio/Miss/ Lower Mississippi River Forecast, NWS Louisiana/Southern Mississippi Rivers Forecast. Amite River. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Deliver vital engineering solutions, in collaboration with our partners, to secure our Nation, energize our economy, and reduce disaster risk. Continue ~22 miles to White Castle and turn right onto LA-69/Bowie Street. Some good-sized bass can be caught at this time along both stretches of the Intracoastal Waterway,. Despite control efforts, some researchers believe the likelihood of this event increases each year due to natural forces inherent to river deltas. Official websites use .gov In 1942 the USACE also created the Wax Lake Outlet, an artificial channel off the Atchafalaya River that diverts water to the Gulf. According to U.S. Census data, nearly 30% of Americans live in the MARB. 5-Day Forecast. It receives 30% of the combined flow of the Red and Mississippi Rivers. A lock ( Vessel traffic will be affected by stronger river current and vessel traffic safety rules will be strictly enforced by the U.S. Coast Guard. Chance of Exceeding Levels During Entire Period, Short-term Probabilistic Guidance (Experimental), Corps of Engineers (COE) Info for Morgan City, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Data and Site Info for Morgan City, Calcasieu Parish Police Jury Alert System. This has caused a loss of habitat for native plants and animals and has reduced the biological productivity of the entire river basin. The natural capacity of the MARB to remove nutrients has been diminished by a range of human activities. Over time, the character of the old river meanders and floodplains have been modified for millions of acres of agriculture and urbanization. [11], The river's valley was designated Atchafalaya National Heritage Area in 2006. The flow past New Orleans peaked at 1.257 million ft3/s (35,594.28 m3/s) on April 15; the project design flood flow is 1.25 million ft3/s with the balance flowing through the Bonnet Carre Spillway. Lower Atchafalaya River At Morgan City, LA (CORPS/USGS site) X: XX: 03780 : Lower Atchafalaya River Below Sweet Bay Lake (LA) X: XX: 03820 : Wax Lake Outlet Vicinity At Belle Isle, LA: X : During the 2011 Mississippi River floods, the Old River complex was discharging more than 706,000 cubic feet per second (20,000m3/s) into the Atchafalaya River, and the Morganza Floodway was discharging one-fourth of its capacity. Click here to get the latest river stages, flood info and forecasts. On April 7, New Orleans crested at 18.47ft. River traffic restrictions will be strictly enforced. Current Flood Warnings (include long-range forecast crests). 294147091124000. n/a. Bookmark. Atchafalaya River. Manmade locks and dams were created to control flooding and create deeper waters for steamboats. For website corrections, write to webmaster-mvn@usace.army.mil, An official website of the United States government, Regional Planning & Environment Division South. ATCHAFALAYA RIVER AT MORGAN CITY, LA. Turn left on LA-317 for one-half mile and turn right onto Alice C Rd/Parish Road 16. NOTE: River forecasts for this location take into account past precipitation and the precipitation amounts expected approximately 48 hours into the future from the forecast issuance time. The maintenance of the river as a navigable channel of the Mississippi River has been a significant project of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for more than a century. A series of unusually cold winters in the river basin concluded in the winter of 1972-1973, when high precipitation saturated much of the watershed, especially in the Ohio Valley and lower Mississippi Valley. The Atchafalaya River is navigable and provides a significant industrial shipping channel for the state of Louisiana. Flow (secondary) data is not currently enabled for this gauge. United States. The 1973 flood was the first time the Morganza Spillway was opened: from April 19 through June 13. Evacuation of the cities of Berwick and Morgan City is strongly recommended. Prior to the Louisiana Purchase, the Mississippi River acted as the western border for the United States. Along with being the largest U.S. drainage basin, the Mississippi also creates borders for 10 states.