Judge: Corps must discuss spillway use with fisheries agency

By KEVIN McGILL
Associated Press

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A federal judge has ruled that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers must consult with a federal fisheries agency on the effects of opening a spillway that protects New Orleans from flooding when the Mississippi River swells. The ruling came in a lawsuit filed by officials in Mississippi who said the opening of the Bonnet Carre spillway in 2019 harmed marine life and damaged tourism by diverting river water into Mississippi Sound. The judge agreed with coastal Mississippi interests who said that the Corps must consult with the National Marine Fisheries Service. Wednesday’s ruling said the Corps might, in the future, have to consider alternatives to opening the spillway.