Not quite moderate flood stage

Photo courtesy of Sam Jones
The Atchafalaya River at Morgan City didn’t quite reach the 7.0-foot moderate flood stage that was predicted for Saturday. The river reached 6.76 feet at 7 p.m. Saturday and stayed near that level through Tuesday morning. The spring’s first threat of high water did serve as a sort of shakedown run for local flood systems, including the Bayou Chene Flood Control Structure, shown here. Parish President Sam Jones, who as a legislator worked with former state Sen. Bret Allain and others to obtain funding for the $80 million structure, said the structure is likely to remain closed for two more weeks.