Latest Mississippi River Delta news: Jan. 12, 2016

Mississippi floods’ silty lining
By Eric Wolff, Politico Morning Energy. Jan. 11, 2016.
*features Doug Meffert, National Audubon Society
“The Army Corps of Engineers opened the Bonnet Carre spillway north of New Orleans to protect nearby communities from Mississippi flood waters yesterday, but the move could offer a side benefit: the influx of silt could help buttress the Louisiana’s withering wetlands…” (read more)

Morganza Floodway will not be opened, Corps of Engineers decides
By Mark Schleifstein, The Times-Picayune. Jan. 11, 2016.
“The Morganza Floodway, designed to divert a portion of the Mississippi River into the Atchafalaya River Basin, need not be opened to reduce the Mississippi’s flow to safe levels this month between the floodway and the Bonnet Carre Spillway, the Army Corps of Engineers announced Monday (Jan. 11). ‘The latest information indicates that the river crest can be safely passed through south Louisiana without operation of the Morganza control structure,’ said Major Gen. Michael Wehr, commander of the corps’ Mississippi Valley Division…” (read more)

Corps predicts Morganza spillway opening not needed to control flood conditions along the Mississippi River
By Amy Wold, The New Orleans Advocate. Jan. 11, 2016.
“The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reported Monday that it won’t need to use the Morganza Control Structure because the flow of water in the Mississippi River isn’t expected to be strong enough to trigger the opening…” (read more)

BP oil spill: Should BP pay firms hurt by the 2010 federal drilling ban?
By Jennifer Larino, The Times-Picayune. Jan. 11, 2016.
“A federal judge is expected to approve the $20 billion settlement over damages from the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil disaster in coming weeks, finalizing the agreement reached in October 2015 after years of legal battle between the federal government and BP…” (read more)

Eyes in the Sky: Green Groups Are Harnessing Data from Space
By Jacques Leslie. Yale Environment 360. Jan. 11, 2016.
“An increasing number of nonprofit organizations are relying on satellite imagery to monitor environmental degradation. Chief among them is SkyTruth, which has used this data to expose the extent of the BP oil spill, uncover mining damage, and track illegal fishing worldwide…” (read more)

Refineries, plants prepare for high water
By Ted Griggs, The New Orleans Advocate. Jan. 11, 2016.
“With the memory of 2011’s flooding still fresh, Baton Rouge- and New Orleans-area refineries and chemical plants are lining up generators, pumps and sandbags to cope with the deluge of water surging down the Mississippi River…” (read more)