Bonnet Carré Crevasse
The Bonnet Carré Crevasse was one of several levee breaches in the Bonnet Carré area in the mid-to-late-1800s.[1] Bonnet Carré was approximately 50 kilometers from New Orleans, Louisiana.[2]
The breach occurred when excess water from the Mississippi River flowed over the east bank levee of Bonnet Carré.[1] The original levee was over 12 feet high, and the Crevasse itself spanned about 1200 feet.[2] Local drainage systems were unable to contain the floodwater.[1] The water rushed at 8 miles per hour, causing the width of the breach to increase by the day.[2] Strong northern winds caused the excess water to enter Lake Pontchartrain and surrounding urban areas, including neighborhoods Metairie and Gentilly.[1] The increasing force of the flood also caused another nearby levee to break.[1]
Although the devastation to the Bonnet Carré area was great, its ecological impacts were somewhat beneficial.[3] By diverting river water and sediment, the crevasse saved a greater portion of land surrounding the area from succumbing to total flooding and land erosion.[3] Therefore, the crevasse served as a buffer for wetland erosion. Recognizing the benefits, the local government commissioned the construction of an artificial crevasse that could be periodically opened to drain excess water from the Mississippi.[3]
The river levee was not restored at Bonnet Carré until 1883.[4]
The area is now the site of the Bonnet Carré Spillway.[4]
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References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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