Spillway of swollen Mississippi River open near New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers opened a major spillway Sunday near New Orleans for the first time in nearly five years, seeking to decrease the vast flow of the swollen Mississippi River as a safeguard to the low-lying city.

Heavy Mississippi Valley rain has propelled the river to its highest levels since record flooding in 2011, the last time the Bonnet Carre spillway was opened as a key relief valve in south Louisiana.

New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu praised the spillway for protecting the city, the NOLA.com/The Times-Picayune reported . The spillway was built 28 miles upriver from New Orleans after a devastating 1927 flood.

The Army Corps of Engineers’ New Orleans District commander had said Tuesday he was confident the high Mississippi River will pass safely through Louisiana to the Gulf of Mexico. Col. Rick Hansen then announced he was recommending the weekend opening of the spillway.

The Bonnet Carre has been opened 10 times since 1931.

The spillway opens up more than a mile of the Mississippi’s east bank and pulls diverted river waters into a 5.7-mile floodway that empties into Lake Pontchartrain and, eventually, into the Gulf of Mexico. Authorities said it may be open for several weeks.