Summary: Bound by overtopping of the West Guide Levee and other initial design and engineering flaws, Davis Pond, the world's largest diversion project, has remained largely non-operational since its dedication in 2002.
Current Status: The project ran at full potential again in Spring 2009. Future work includes continued improvements to the West Guide Levee and Cypress Lumber Canal.
Real Time Project Stats:
http://waterdata.usgs.gov/la/nwis/uv
Facts:
- Price tag: $120 million (federal 75% / state 25%)
- Maximum Diversion Capacity: 10,650 cubic feet per second (cfs)
- Expectations: To preserve 33,000 acres of marsh and benefit 777,000 acres of marshes and bays, the latter being equal to the land area of Rhode Island
- Consists of four iron-gated 14' x 14' box culverts built into the Mississippi River levee, and an inflow channel 535' long x 85' wide will direct river water into the structure, while an outflow channel more than 11,000' long x 120' wide will extend behind the structure into the ponding area.
- The total project area comprises 10,084 acres, including the 9,200-acre ponding area.
- The 19-member advisory committee has representatives from: DNR; the Corps; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; National Marine Fisheries Service; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service; Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality; Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries; Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals; Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program; St. Charles, Jefferson, Lafourche and Plaquemines parishes; landowners; shrimpers (2); oyster fishermen and recreational fishermen.
- Authorized in the Flood Control Act of 1965 and modified most recently by the Water Resources Development Act of 1996
- Construction began in January 1997
- Dedicated in 2002
