2 - Bayou Bodcau Reservoir
You must select a
Old River Lock
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
21412 Louisiana Hwy 15
Lettsworth, LA 70753
Phone: (225) 492-2690
Map data ©2011 - Terms of Use
View Full Map
See the lake website for additional information. Primary recreational opportunities are listed
below.
Directions & Lake History/Factoid
Directions: Located on LA Highway 15, north of Lettsworth.
Factoid: Louisiana's Old River is a distinctive river with a remarkable history. Fifty miles
northwest of Baton Rouge, it connects the Atchafalaya and Mississippi Rivers. It was once a part
of the Mississippi and would have long ceased to exist had it not been for man. At one time, the
Mississippi attempted to divert most of its flow through Old River and down the Atchafalaya.
The Old River Lock was built to make the Red River and the Atchafalaya River accessible to
river traffic from the Mississippi River. The boat ramp and parking lot are across the highway
from the project office.
Age & Disability Discount Passes
Recreation areas 1 - 2 of 2 at Old River Lock
Old River Control
X
Old River Lock
Corps Managed
N
$ Corps Fees Collected
X
A
Managed by Others in Italics
Morganza Floodway
Intended to operate during emergency flooding, the
purpose of the Morganza Floodway is to divert excess
floodwater from the Mississippi River into the
Atchafalaya Basin. The floodway consists of two
structures – the Morganza Control Structure and the
Morganza Floodway – which are designed to pass up
to 600,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) of water to the
Gulf of Mexico, alleviating stress for mainline levees
downstream along the Mississippi River.
Located at river mile 280 in central Louisiana, the
Morganza Floodway begins at the Mississippi River, extends southward to the East Atchafalaya
River levee, and eventually joins the Atchafalaya River Basin Floodway near Krotz Springs,
Louisiana. Seven design plans were originally proposed, and a two-structure design was selected.
Construction of both structures was completed in 1954. The first
component at Morganza is the floodway. At twenty miles long
and five miles wide, it consists of a stilling basin, an approach
and outlet channel, and two guide levees. The second element is
a control structure containing a concrete weir, two sluice gates,
seventeen scour indicators, and 125 gated openings.
The decision to open the Morganza Floodway relies on current
and projected river flows and levee conditions, river currents and
potential effects on navigation and revetments, extended rain
and stage forecasts, and the duration of high river stages. When
river flows at the Red River Landing are predicted to reach 1.5
million cfs and rising, the Corps considers opening the
Morganza Floodway.
Every year, written notices are issued to all interests reminding
them of the possibility of operation of the floodway. In the event
that Morganza needs to be opened, the USACE project managers, along with news media and
civil officials, will help notify all interested parties as soon as possible. On receipt of such notice,
expeditious action must be taken as soon as possible to protect life and property. If the Morganza
Floodway is operated, there is a possibility that personal property will be flooded. In the event of
an opening, all water and/or gas wells must be sealed and capped to prevent contamination from
floodwaters.
The Morganza Floodway was partially operated during the 1973 high water event to relieve
pressure on Old River’s Low Sill Structure. Overall, the spillway structure fared well with minor
scouring and slight damage to the stilling basin. Repairs have since taken place and the structure
has been restored to its original state. Inspections are ongoing to ensure that the structure
operates correctly in the event of an opening
Morganza Floodway Opening Pace: 2011
2011 Date
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Day 8
Day 9
Days 10-55
Bays
Opened
Total
Opened
2011
Discharge
(CFS)
May 14
2
2
19.900
May 15
7
9
91.200
May 16
2
11
75,160**
May 17
4
15
102,000
May 18
2
17
114,000
May 19
0
17
114,000
May 20
0
17
114,000
May 21
0
17
114,000
May 22
0
17
114,000
May 23July 7
0
0
0
**Flow rate reduction - as more bays are opened, the capacity of each bay will decrease due to
the elevation of the water in the receiving basin
Atchafalaya Basin
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
112 Speck Lane
Port Barre, LA 70577
Phone: (337) 585-0853
Map data ©2011 - Terms of Use
View Full Map
Directions & Lake History/Factoid
Directions: From Opelousas 5 miles east on US 190.
Factoid: The project encompasses 595,000 acres of the largest contiguous tract of bottomland
hardwoods in the United States. The Atchafalaya Basin is a scenic semi-wilderness area of
hardwood forests, cypress stands, marshes and bayous. It is one of the last great river swamps
left in the nation. The Atchafalaya River and hundreds of miles of bayous bring life to this
wilderness area.
Age & Disability Discount Passes
Recreation areas 1 - 3 of 3 at Atchafalaya Basin
Bayou Des Ourses Area
R
Indian Bayou Area
HR
Shatters Bayou Area
Corps Managed
$ Corps Fees Collected
Managed by Others in Italics
Bonnet Carre Spillway
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
P.O. Box 216
Norco, LA 70079-0216
Phone: (985) 764-0126
Visit us on Facebook!
Map data ©2011 - Terms of Use
View Full Map
Directions & Lake History/Factoid
Directions: Take Highway 61 to Highway 48 (Apple Street) into Norco. Turn right at River
Road and go 1 mile.
Factoid: Over the years, the Bonnet Carre Spillway has developed into an extensively used
outdoor recreation area with approximately 250,000 visitors enjoying the spillway each year.
These lands and waters provide opportunities for fishing, crawfishing, hunting, dog training,
camping and wildlife watching. More specialized activities include retriever dog field trials and
model airplane flying competitions. The spillway contains two boat launching sites and a
primitive campground, provided by St. Charles Parish. Additional onsite management is planned
to enhance the recreation and natural resource values of the project lands and waters.
Age & Disability Discount Passes
Recreation areas 1 - 3 of 3 at Bonnet Carre Spillway
ATV REC AREA
RC CLUB
ST. CHARLES RECREATION AREA
X
GS
Corps Managed
X
$ Corps Fees Collected
Managed by Others in Italics
Exists at lake
Camping
Electric Campsites
E
Non-electric Campsites
N
Pull Through Campsites
T
Group Camping
G
Dump Station
D
Picnic
Picnic Area
A
Group Picnic
G
GS Group Picnic Shelter
Swimming
BE Beach
Swimming Pool
P
Trails
Bike Trails
B
Equestrian Trails
Q
Hiking Trails
H
Hiking Trails - Interpretive
I
Off Road Vehicle Trails
R
M Miscellaneous Trails