Salinity Changes in Pontchartrain Basin Estuary, Louisiana, Resulting from Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet Partial Closure Plans with Width Reduction
Abstract
The Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet (MRGO) consists of a ship channel 36 ft deep and 500 ft wide, extending approximately 76 miles from the juncture of the Inner Harbor Navigation Channel and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway in New Orleans, LA, to the -38 mlw (mean low water) -ft contour in the Gulf of Mexico, The purpose of the MRGO is to provide a deep-draft channel to the Port of New Orleans Inner Harbor Facilities. Since the MRGO's completion in January 1968, saltwater flux from the MRGO through direct connections to Lake Borgne and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway has contributed to an increase in the salinity concentration of the lakes and Biloxi Marshes. This report presents the results of a numerical mode investigation used to predict average salinity changes that will occur in the Lake Pontchartrain Basin as a result of varying levels of depth and width closure of the MRGO below Lake Borgne. This report follows a previous study, ERDC/CHL TR-01-14, that modeled depth closure alone, which produced very low changes in salinity.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 2002
- Accession Number
- ADA408114
Entities
People
- A. R. Carrillo
- B. J. Thibodeaux
- J. N. Tate
- R. C. Berger
Organizations
- Engineer Research and Development Center