Trekking through the Couturie Forest in New Orleans’ City Park, the fog shrouds my view. It’s hard to spot the birds, but I manage to catch a red-shouldered hawk’s call. I hadn’t roamed this part of the forest in years. Nature is my escape from the stresses of my river work. Here, I can recharge. I scan the ground for snakes and flowers and keep an eye out for exotic birds and alligators.
That day, nature felt peaceful, wrapped in mist. I decided to take a climb up the highest point in Orleans Parish, known as Laborde Mountain. Without any gear, I scrambled 27 feet above sea level. As a child, I had forgotten about a circular concrete platform at the top. There lay a map, a replica of the New Orleans riverfront—the Crescent City—etched in its surface.
This journey reminded me of a pivotal moment a decade ago when I witnessed the earliest opening of the Bonnet Carré Spillway on January 10, 2016. That event marked the start of a decade marked by extreme river conditions. Since then, the spillway has been operated more times than in any other ten-year period, highlighting a troubling trend: climate variability.
According to recent research, the average rainfall has increased significantly in the last century, impacting river management. Instances of high water are becoming the norm rather than the exception. For perspective, 2019 recorded the largest volume of water flow in U.S. history—910 million acre-feet—far surpassing previous floods in 1927 and 1973.
Historical comparisons reveal that the 1970s, another wet decade, saw multiple openings of the spillway. However, the 2020s have brought unprecedented extremes, flipping between floods and droughts. For example, after five operation years, we experienced drought conditions in 2022, leading to the construction of an underwater saltwater barrier designed to protect New Orleans’ drinking water from salt intrusion.
In 2023, this barrier was constructed again, illustrating how climate conditions have shifted our approach. The Big River Coalition reported that keeping commerce flowing among these changes requires constant adaptation.
As we find ourselves in this era of unpredictable weather and fluctuating river stages, preparing for future extremes has never been more critical. The 2025 Greater Mississippi Trends report emphasizes the need for ongoing vigilance as precipitation patterns continue to change.
Nature teaches us to adapt. Climbing that mountain, I was reminded that while our environment is changing, it’s also resilient. We must remain vigilant in monitoring these shifts to protect both the economy and the natural beauty of regions like New Orleans.
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Bonnet Carré spillway,climate variability,Corps of Engineers,extreme weather,flood control,low river stages,Mississippi River,New Orleans,river navigation,saltwater sill,The Waterways Journal
