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Corps Ups Surveillance Of Louisiana’s Mississippi River Levees
POSTED: 11:43 am CDT April 7, 2008
UPDATED: 12:12 pm CDT April 7, 2008

surveillance of Louisiana's Mississippi River levees as the swollen river's level continues to rise.

Col. Alvin Lee, commander of the corps' New Orleans District office, said the river is not expected to overrun or breach the levees, even though water levels are higher then they've been in a decade.

Lee said engineers in Louisiana are monitoring the levees with seven-day work weeks and 12-hour shifts - new manpower levels triggered by a forecast that the river will crest in New Orleans at 17 feet on April 16. That forecast is 1½ feet higher than previous predictions, the result of heavy rains throughout the river valley.

The levees were designed to contain at least 20 feet of water.

The corps could decide by Tuesday whether the levels will force the opening of the Bonnet Carre Spillway, a safety valve about 30 miles north of New Orleans that, when opened, reduces the river's water volume and eases stress on the levees.

Gov. Bobby Jindal said he has confidence in the levee system, adding that the precautions are necessary because river level forecasts can change swiftly.

River level forecasts are higher today than they've been since 1997, the last time the corps opened the Bonnet Carre.

Jindal said he wanted people living in parishes along the river to stay informed about the rivers' levels.