Opening the Morganza Spillway

The Morganza Spillway in 1973 

           The Mississippi River has been above flood stage for four months. Continuous rain in the Midwest has sent torrents of water down the Mississippi towards the Gulf of Mexico. With no let-up on the way and the increasing threat of the Mississippi overflowing its banks at Baton Rouge and New Orleans, the Army Corps of Engineers is preparing to open the Morganza Spillway to alleviate the problem. The opening of the Spillway will divert the excess water into the Atchafalaya Basin, relieving the flood threat. It will also destroy wildlife, ruin crops, and devastate the crawfish, oyster, and other aquatic life. 

            Since the opening of the Morganza in 1954, the Corps of Engineers has only opened it twice—for 56 days in 1973 and 55 days in 2011. The opening of the Spillway is generally considered as a last resort to protect populated areas from flooding. As the Corps of Engineers prepares to open the Spillway, let’s take a look at the point of the Spillway, its history, and what happens next. 

The Spillway in action 

            In 1927, heavy rainfall that began the previous year swelled the banks of the Mississippi causing the river to overflow its banks. The resulting flood left 700,000 people homeless and put over 27,000 square miles of land under water. In a desperate attempt to save the city of New Orleans, city and government authorities blew up the levee 13 miles south of the city at Caernarvon. By blowing up the levee, they hoped to divert the floodwaters into the lowlands south of the city. Ultimately, however, the detonation was unnecessary. Other levees had already broken upstream that lessened the flow of water towards the city. 

            The following year, Congress passed the Flood Control Act of 1928 to try and prevent future disasters. The law authorized the Army Corps of Engineers to design a system of levees and spillways to divert water away from populated areas during floods, but also keep the Mississippi on its current course through Baton Rouge and New Orleans before reaching the Gulf of Mexico. The Corps of Engineers eventually constructed multiple spillways along the Mississippi River including the Bonnet Carre Spillway outside of New Orleans that directs floodwaters into Lake Pontchartrain. Work on the Morganza Spillway’s levees began in the late 1930s, but was not completed until 1954. 

Graphic from The Advocate 

            The land around the Morganza is well above the normal river level, so for most of the year, the land is dry. Water only reaches the Spillway when the Mississippi rises above flood stage. When the water level is normal, the Old River Control Structure (ORCS) and Old River Control Auxiliary Structure (ORCAS) control the flow of water before it ever reaches the Morganza. ORCS and ORCAS divert excess water from the Mississippi River into the adjacent Atchafalaya River. By sending about 70% of the water to the Mississippi and 30% to the Atchafalaya, ORCS and ORCAS have kept the Mississippi River on its current path. If left to its own devices, the river would have shifted to the west down the Atchafalaya, which is now the shortest distance to the Gulf. 

When the ORCS and ORCAS systems can no longer direct the course of the water, the Corps of Engineers considers opening up the Morganza. The structure itself has 125 gates that can be opened or closed to allow more water to flow from the Mississippi. To open the gates, the Corps of Engineers employs 25 foot cranes to open and close the gates as needed. As the flood waters rise higher, the Corps of Engineers needs to open the spillway before the water rises over it and ruining any chance of lessening the flood levels. 

            As a result, the Morganza has only been opened twice in its history—in 1973 and 2011—and the Corps has never opened all 125 gates. In 1973, they opened 42 and in 2011 only 21. Considering the large amount of water being diverted, the Corps prefers to release the water gradually. 

Flood damage from 2011 

            The opening of the Morganza will cause immense damage to the Atchafalaya basin, which is filled with a diverse range of wildlife, farms, and seafood. Over the years, people—especially the poor—have taken to living in the basin because they cannot afford to live elsewhere. The water will damage their homes and livelihoods. The influx of water will also drive animals of all kinds—deer, bears, turkeys, hogs, rabbits—from their homes, forcing them to seek higher ground that could include roads and residents’ homes. With a lack of available high ground, most will die. The water will also be devastating to fisheries the influx of warm fresh water will kill crawfish and oysters, which thrive in salty, cold water. This river water, which has largely been accumulating near the Spillway, is stagnant and will kill fish or other aquatic life. Birds may be better off, but ground birds and birds in the midst of nesting will likely drown. 

            All of this will be the result of nearly a hundred years of flood control where the Corps of Engineers decided to try and assert its authority over the Mississippi River itself. 

DGA Dining: Bywater American Bistro

            Last year, we reviewed Compere Lapin, a restaurant blending New Orleans, Italian, and Caribbean influences. The restaurant, the brain-child of chef Nina Compton, a competitor on Top Chef: New Orleans, has become one of the most beloved restaurants in the city. Compton and her team have won a slew of local and national awards. Food & Wine Magazine named Compton one of the Best New Chefs of 2017. Eater critic Bill Addison placed Compére Lapin on his list of 38 Essential Restaurants in America. In 2018, Compton won the James Beard Award for Best Chef: South. New Orleans restaurant critic Brett Anderson awarded Compére Lapin four beans—the Times-Picayune’s highest rating.  The appeal of the restaurant, Anderson argued, was that “Every meal at the restaurant over the past six months has brought a creation that, at the time of its consumption, has had the effect of overshadowing something extraordinary that came before.” 

            In 2018, Compton and husband Larry Miller opened Bywater American Bistro, their much anticipated follow-up to Compere Lapin. The two restaurants differ in significant ways. Bywater American Bistro is located in the Bywater, a formerly working class neighborhood undergoing an artistic and culinary evolution. Bywater is very much a neighborhood restaurant. The simplicity of the name revealing its purpose. The menu features a section devoted to grains as a tribute to the restaurant’s building, formerly the largest rice mill in the country. Now the Rice Mill Lofts house Bywater and residential condos. Compton and Miller live in one of the condos above the restaurant. 

            While Miller manages Compere Lapin and Bywater American Bistro, Levi Raines helms the kitchen at Bywater. A former sous chef at Compere Lapin, Raines oversees the small open-air kitchen with ease. At a recent dinner, Raines, recently named a 2019 Young Gun by Eater, glided seamlessly between plating, tasting, and expediting, all within several feet of the restaurant’s bartenders, who serve the customers seated at the bar. At any given moment, Raines is six or so feet away from customers, while the restaurant hums around him. 

            Like Compere Lapin, Bywater American Bistro’s food shines with well-executed food inspired by a sense of place. Let’s take a look at some of the dishes we tried. 

            The spaghetti pomodoro combines the comfort of spaghetti at home with the precision of one of the nation’s most skilled chefs. The noodles are silk-like in the texture, and the surrounding sauce is combines buttery richness and a delicate balance of sweet and acid. 

            The ricotta agnolotti is a pasta-lover’s heaven. The ricotta burst with flavor out of the delicate pasta wrapper. Swimming a rich and flavorful sauce, we would have been happy to just eat a giant plate of it. 

            The rabbit curry, served with jasmine rice and pecans, rivals the flavor found in Compere Lapin’s curried goat. The bold flavors of the curry match up well with the tenderly cooked rabbit. The pecans provide crunch and substitute for cashews or other nuts found in curries. 

            The spiced Nutella flan is a delightful and surprising dessert. Light and bright, the flan is a wonderful compliment to the rest of the menu. Filling, but not overwhelming, the flan leaves diners with one last bold hit of flavor in a menu full of them. 

New Orleans Accents

Accents. Everyone has one. Our accents are shaped by where we were born, our education level, our class, our race, and a myriad of other factors. Across the United States, different regions have different accents. Try asking for "wah-tah" in Boston or "wooder" in Philadelphia and you'll see the difference.

Then there's the ubiquitous "southern" accent with its slow pace, glideless vowels, and emphasis on pronouncing "r"s, amongst other linguistic evolutions. Accents are both a point of regional pride and a nearly inexhaustible source of humor. Some of it funny, most of it trite.

When it comes to New Orleans, the city has an accent all its own. Centuries of immigration andclass and racial divisions have made the city's accent unique--not just in the United States, but in the South and even within Louisiana itself.

Want to learn more about the New Orleans accent? The good people at Very Local NOLA have put together a handy little guide. Enjoy!

2019 NFL Draft Recap

Mickey and Sean contemplating another trade up 

           The never-ending NFL draft is finally over and, as promised, let’s take a look at the New Orleans Saints picks. Even though the Saints went into the draft down their first, third, and fourth round picks, they still managed to do what they always do—trade away future talent to meet current needs and believe way too much in their own talent evaluation relative to the rest of the league. 

 Round 2, No. 48 Overall: Erik McCoy C, Texas A&M 

            Let’s start with the pick itself. As we discussed last week, the Saints had a desperate need at center after the surprise retirement of Max Unger. McCoy, alongside free agent signee Nick Easton, will compete to fill Unger’s spot. McCoy also possesses the ability to play guard, making him a versatile addition to the Saints offensive line. McCoy is 6-4, 303 pounds and started 39 games over the past three seasons at Texas. McCoy’s ability to stay in the lineup should help bolster the Saints line which has dealt with injuries to Andrus Peat and Terron Armstead over the past few seasons. 

            So if the pick of McCoy makes sense, then what’s the problem? The problem is the same as it always is. New Orleans traded up to get McCoy and overpaid for him in the present, while also hurting themselves in the future.  Here’s the trade that the Saints made to get McCoy. They sent their second round pick, 62 overall, 202 overall, and a second-rounder in 2020 for picks 48 and 116. Using Chase Stuart’s trade value chart, derived from the value that draft picks actually produce, the Saints sent away approximately the value of the 15^th overall pick in the draft to acquire McCoy. As a general principle, teams generally don’t take centers with picks that high. They’re just not as valuable as quarterbacks, wide receivers, pass-rushers, or offensive tackles, who play on the outside of the line and lack help from interior offensive linemen to block opposing defenders.  

Round 4, No. 105: Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, S, Florida 

            Once again, the pick here is understandable. The Saints need help in their secondary, especially at safety. Gardner-Johnson played in the slot and swapped between run defense and pass defense with relative ease. Having players with the flexibility to play the run and the pass is especially important as teams not only pass the ball more, but try to exploit opposing defenses by trapping them in pass or run only personnel. 

            And once again, the price is too high. The Saints traded up again (and for the 17^th time in 13 years), this time sending the newly acquired 116^th pick and their fifth rounder, 168^th overall, to move up 11 spots. By the time teams reach the fourth round, the differences between players are relatively small. And while teams may have players they prefer, there’s no need to aggressively trade up unless you have picks to spare. Instead, New Orleans trusted its own talent evaluation over the fact that they might be (and often are) wrong. Rather than guard against that reality, the Saints stuck their head in the sand again, believing they, somehow, can evaluate talent better than any other team in the league. 

Round 6, No. 177: Saquan Hampton, S, Rutgers 

            Now we’re at the part of the draft where it’s hard to evaluate because players drafted this late are often fighting for roster spots and may not make it to September.  As with the Gardner-Johnson pick, Hampton makes sense as the Saints still have needs in the secondary. Hampton will hope to contribute on special teams and pass-heavy downs. 

Round 7, No. 231: Alize Mack, TE, Notre Dame

            Mack certainly fits a need, but can he make the team. In 2018, he only caught 36 passes for 360 years with 3 touchdowns, hardly anything to write home about. He’s a developmental pick, but the Saints, who are trying to win a Super Bowl this year, may not have time to wait around. 

Round 7, No. 244 overall: Kaden Elliss, OLB, Idaho

            Elliss has a chance to contribute on special teams and perhaps as a situational pass-rusher. He’ll be competing against undrafted free agents for his roster spot. 

2019 NFL Draft Preview

           The NFL draft begins this Thursday night. For New Orleans Saints, however, there’s very little reason to tune in. The Saints don’t have a first round pick. In fact, Saints fans don’t have much of a reason at all to watch the draft. As the team has gone all-in to try and win the Super Bowl over the last two seasons, they’ve traded away draft picks for players who can help the team now. Some of those moves have worked, others not so much. 

            So let’s take a look at few picks the Saints have left, what they might do with them, and where all the missing picks went. 

1-30—In 2018, the Saints traded their  first rounder, 27^th overall, and their 2019 first rounder to the Green Bay Packers to move up to the 14^th pick and select defensive end Marcus Davenport. The aggressive move was classic Saints, pay too high a price for a player the team’s front office loves. In his rookie season, Davenport looked every bit the developmental prospect that draft analysts had described. He was fine, but was he worth giving up value equal to the 4^th overall pick in the draft? Absolutely not.

2-62—Hey, they kept this one! Don’t be surprised if the Saints try and trade up by throwing in a pick from the 2020 draft. Ideally, the Saints would trade down and pick up an extra 3^rd or 4^th rounder, but that’s not Saints GM Mickey Loomis’ forte. Sometimes it works, see Alvin Kamara, but most of the time it doesn’t i.e. every other trade Loomis has made where he gives away future picks in higher rounds. 

3-93—The Saints traded this pick to the New York Jets back in training camp for quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. If New Orleans wanted Bridgewater so badly, they could have signed him as a free agent a few months earlier and kept their draft pick. Bridgewater barely played in 2018 because the Saints have Drew Brees at quarterback. Why pay such a high price for a backup? Especially since if Brees is hurt, the team is screwed anyway. 

4-132—New Orleans traded this pick mid-season for cornerback Eli Apple. This trade was one of the few draft pick for player trades that turned out well. Apple, who had struggled with the Giants after being the 10^thoverall pick in 2016, solidified the Saints pass defense. Lining up as the starting cornerback across from Marcus Lattimore, Apple replaced Ken Crowley and the injured P.J. Williams. 

The rest of the Saints draft picks are in the 5^th (168), 6^th (177, 202), and 7^th (231, 244) rounds. So now let’s take a look at some areas of need for New Orleans. 

Offensive Line—With the surprise retirement of Max Unger, New Orleans needs a new center to anchor the team’s stellar offensive line. Guards Andrus Peat and Larry Warford will be free agents after 2019 and 2020 respectively. Left tackle Terron Armstead is a great player when healthy, but always seems to miss a multiple games per year. An effective offensive line is key to keeping Drew Brees upright. 

Tight End— Ever since the Saints traded away Jimmy Graham, they’ve struggled to find a permanent replacement. New Orleans signed 32 year old Jared Cook in free agency and he won’t be around forever. It’s time for the team to draft and develop a tight end for the future. 

Defense—Despite the Saints massive improvements over the past two seasons, they still need help just about everywhere on defense. Another edge rusher to complement Cameron Jordan and Davenport would be useful, especially after the loss of Alex Okafor. New Orleans could also use another safety behind Marcus Williams and Vonn Bell. As NFL teams become more and more pass-happy, having 3-4 effective safeties is becoming more and more important and the Saints just released Kurt Coleman. 

Jazz Fest 2019

            The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, otherwise known as Jazz Fest, is a yearly celebration of the music and culture of New Orleans. The festival runs every year on the last weekend in April (Friday-Sunday) and the first weekend in May (Thursday-Sunday). The Fair Grounds Race Course, a horse racing track in Mid-City New Orleans plays host to the festival. The music begins at 11:00 AM and runs through 7:00 PM. Jazz Fest attracts tourists from across the country and the world. It is the second biggest event in the city each year—only trailing Mardi Gras. The festival brings in over $300 million annually. 

            Jazz Fest features hundreds of performers and performances ranging from local musicians to internationally famous rock and roll bands. There are twelve different stages with musical acts playing all day from 11-7.

           The Rolling Stones and Fleetwood Mac were originally scheduled to headline this year's Jazz Fest, but both had to withdraw due to illness. But the lineup this year features artists like Katy Perry, Earth, Wind, and Fire, Santana, Van Morrison, the Doobie Brothers, Gladys Knight, Alanis Morissette, and Diana Ross.

           Jazz Fest also features a host of local musicians playing everything from jazz to zydeco to hip hop to bounce music. Show up at any day of the festival and you’ll find New Orleans artists like John Boutté, the Rebirth Brass Band, Trombone Shorty, Kermit Ruffins, Big Freedia, and a number of Mardi Gras Indian bands. Artists who have performed at the DGA crawfish boil, like the Hot 8 Brass Band and Flow Tribe, will perform this year. 

            The festival began back in 1970 thanks to the efforts of the New Orleans Hotel Motel Association. The Association wanted to highlight New Orleans’ unique musical and cultural heritage to bring tourists to the city—where they would stay in local hotels and motels and boost the economy. The first two festivals, in 1970 and 1971, were held in Beauregard Square—now Louis Armstrong Park—and Congo Square.

            Admittance to the first festival cost $3 and had only four stages without microphones. Visiting musicians stayed at the homes of the festival’s organizers. The next year, however, the crowd began to grow. By 1972, the festival moved to its current host site, the Fair Grounds Race Course. In the mid-1970s, organizers began producing a yearly poster series to promote the festival. By the late 1980s, the festival was attracting over 300,000 people per year. 

            Jazz Fest is owned and operated by the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation, which over the years has become an important civic institution. The Foundation uses the proceeds from the festival to fund education, economic development, and cultural programs.

            Since 1979, they have donated over $1 million to local schools, artists, and musicians. The Foundation owns the Jazz and Heritage Gallery, the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, the Jazz and Heritage Radio WWOZ 90.7FM, the Jazz and Heritage Foundation Archive, the Jazz and Heritage Center, and the Jazz and Heritage Gala. Educational programs include the Don Jamison Heritage School of Music, the Tom Dent Congo Lecture Series, and School Day at the Fest. They provide grants to Raisin' the Roof (a program that assists southern-Louisiana musicians with home-buying costs), the Jazz and Heritage Music and Media Market, and the Jazz and Heritage Music Exchange.

            The Foundation also organizes and hosts a number of other festivals including the Crescent City Blues and BBQ Festival, Fiesta Latina, the Congo Square Rhythms Festival, the Louisiana Cajun-Zydeco Festival, Gospel is Alive!, Jazz Journey, the Treme Creole Gumbo Festival, and many others. 

            Every year Jazz Fest seeks to celebrate the culture of Louisiana. Make sure you check it out. 

New Orleans Chefs Recommend Where to Eat

Over the years, we've reviewed and recommended places to eat in New Orleans. We all have our favorites, but it's hard to go wrong food wise when visiting the Crescent City. Rather than have us again recommend some places to go, we thought instead to let some chefs who put New Orleans on the map let you know where they go out to eat.

First, we'll start with Emeril Lagasse. Underneath the polished TV persona that became self-parody with the the incessant shouts of "BAM!", Lagasse possesses a deep and abiding love of New Orleans and its diverse food culture.



Nina Compton is part of a new generation of rising New Orleans chefs. We wrote written about her stellar restaurant Compere Lapin last year, where Compton blends New Orleans, Italy, and the Caribbean, creating innovative and inspiring food.

 

First at his restaurant Shaya and now at Saba, Alon Shaya pioneered high end Israeli food in New Orleans. He rose to prominence as a chef and partner at Domenica restaurant before branching out on his own.