News

Greetings from Louisiana Department of Natural Resources Secretary Scott Angelle and the Atchafalaya Basin Program.

Technical Advisory Group (TAG) holds first meeting to consider projects– With the close of the Atchafalaya Basin Program’s schedule of initial public meetings to hear ideas for new Basin water management and water quality projects for the upcoming annual plan process, the Technical Advisory Group met Thursday to being considering the ideas that have been presented. More than 40 proposals have come to the TAG, and the TAG members have begun the process of reviewing them to determine if they meet the program’s criteria for consideration in the annual plan. The TAG will hold more meetings in the coming months to consider proposals for recommendation to the Atchafalaya Research and Promotion Board.

While you’re on the web site -- Our website has many other features that might be of interest, such as the meeting and event calendar and the Basin Pics function. - Please feel free to suggest events for the calendar, send pictures of your experiences on the Basin to the site or suggest other features you would like to see. - If you do not wish to continue to receive the bulletins, please respond to this e-mail address to let us know you want to be taken off the list.

Checking the water -- The information below is obtained from the USGS and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and has been compiled by DNR into this format to allow a quick look at information pertinent to the Atchafalaya Basin. - Real time data from USGS for the Atchafalaya Basin may also be accessed from the DNR’s Basin website at www.basin.louisiana.gov, under “Weather and water levels.”

Gauge name: Cairo Location: Southern most gauge on the Ohio River in Illinois Reading significance - used to forecast rises on the Mississippi. Lag time, 4 to 6 days. Flood Stage: 40’ Stage: 19.8’ Forecast: expect a fall to 15.1’ by 9/01

Gauge name: Red River Location: Mississippi River, just south of ORCS Reading: Mississippi River south of ORCS, after the diversion into the Atchafalaya Flood Stage: 48’ Stage: 25.7’ Forecast: expect a rise to 26.9’ by 9/01

Gauge name: Simmesport Location: Atchafalaya River, just south of ORCS Reading: The combined latitudinal flows of the Red, Black, Ouachita, and ORCS flow from the Mississippi Flood Stage: 47’ Stage: 9.93’ Forecast: expect a rise to 11.1’ by 9/1
Bayou Courtableau Stage: 18.43’
Atchafalaya River at Butte Larose Flood Stage: 25’ Stage: 4.31’ Forecast: expect a rise to 5’ by 9/1
Lake Pelba at I-10, Henderson Stage: 7.7’
Pontoon Bridge at Butte Larose Stage: 7.49’ Forecast: Gates closed
Beau Bayou Swamp Stage: 10.31’ Water Temp: 27.3° C
Bayou Darby at Fausse Pt. Cut Stage: 9.59’ Water Temp: 28.5° C
Lower Grand River at Bayou Sorrel Stage: 5.78’
Murphy Lake Stage: 8.84’ Water Temp: 29.8° C
Arm of Grand Lake near Crook Chene Stage: 6.92’ Water Temp: 25.6° C
Keelboat Pass Stage: 2.84’ Water Temp: 29.1° C
Buffalo Cove at Round Island Stage: 3.85’ Water Temp: 27° C
Bayou Sorrell Locks on the GIWW Flood Stage: 12’ Stage: 3.4’ Forecast: expect a rise to 3.7’ by 9/1
Atchafalaya at Myette Point Flood Stage: 15’ Stage: 2.81’ Forecast: expect a rise to 3.2’ by 9/01
Middle Fork, Bayou Long Stage: 2.52’ Water Temp: 28.8° C
Atchafalaya at Morgan City Flood Stage: 4.0’ Stage: 2.79’ Forecast: expect a slight rise to 2.8’ by 9/01 Patrick Courreges Communications Director Louisiana Department of Natural Resources 225-454-8223 Patrick Courreges Department of Natural Resources Communications Director 225-454-8223