Atchafalaya River forecast is for over 7 feet this month

The latest forecast by the Lower Mississippi River Forecast Center is projecting 7½ feet on the Atchafalaya River at Morgan City by April 26, the Port of Morgan City said Monday.
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“If the current forecast holds, the St. Mary Levee District (SMLD) may anticipate closing the Bayou Chene Flood Control Structure,” the port’s Cindy Cutrera said in an email.

The Bayou Chene structure is designed to block back-flooding when the Atchafalaya runs high.

The decision point occurs when the Atchafalaya reaches 7 feet at Morgan City, said Levee District Director Tim Matte.

Last week, south wind was driving the river level up, Matte said, but the stage started going down when the wind shifted come from the north in the last few days.

But portions of the Mississippi and Ohio valleys have been drenched with unusually heavy rain over the last week, pushing the Mississippi River up and increasing the amount of water that will be diverted into the Atchafalaya.

The river fell from 4.52 feet Saturday to 3.3 feet at 11 a.m. Monday, according to the Lower Mississippi River Forecast Center’s online gauge.

The river is expected to reach the 4-foot action stage Wednesday, the 6-foot minor flood stage April 15 and the 7-foot moderate flood stage April 19.