Rising river diversion plan

NEW ORLEANS - A barge hit the Gov. Nicholls Street wharf March 6 damaging "a number of pilings," according to the New Orleans Police Department. No one was injured. It was not clear who owns the barge, according to NOPD. The Mississippi River is undergoing a swell of rainwater and melted snow from upstream, especially from the Ohio River, and bottlenecks through the waterway on its way to the Gulf of Mexico. Officials plan to open the Bonnet Carre Spillway to divert some of the flow when it reaches 1.25M cubic feet per second. The river is expected to hit that mark March 8. The high river level does create some concern for vessels, according to the Coast Guard, which is monitoring river traffic. (Source: NOLA.com 03/06/18)