Will the opening of the Morganza spillway ultimately be beneficial to the bayou?

Asked by WestRiverrat (20117

) May 16th, 2011

Before all the levees and floodwalls were built, the Mississippi often flooded the area in question. Not to the extent it will be flooded this year, but it was nearly an annual event. The Mississippi delta was created by the sediments in the floodwaters that was deposited on its way into the gulf.

So will there be a silver lining to this event, or is it all bad for the land and residents that will be flooded out this year?

http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=2801

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2 Answers

From a nature viewpoint, it will ultimately be beneficial, but at a cost to the residents.

marinelife (62485

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It will replenish the land and make it much more fertile. From an environmental point of view, it’s probably good for humans. From a personal point of view, a lot of people will lose their homes. So if the bayou is people, it’s bad (but it would be worse for the cities). If the bayou is an environment, it’s good. From the environmental point of view, the levees never should have been built.

wundayatta (58722

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