Dewatering of Old River structure

NEW ORLEANS - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,' New Orleans District has awarded a $34.2M contract to McMillen, Inc. of Boise, Idaho, for construction of a steel system to allow dewatering of the Old River Low Sill Control Structure in Concordia Parish. 

Dewatering is scheduled to occur in late summer and fall of 2024 when the river is traditionally at low water stages. 

“This effort to inspect and repair the Low Sill structure will help ensure the integrity and successful operation of the complex for years to come,” said Col. Cullen Jones, commander to the New Orleans District.

USACE will dewater the Old River Low Sill Control Structure to inspect submerged project features, to conduct subsurface investigations of the foundation material and to undertake any needed rehabilitation or maintenance work. 

It will be0he first dewatering of the structure since repairs and modifications were undertaken in 1987. (USACE 08/31/23) Contract awarded for Old River Low Sill Control Structure Dewatering > New Orleans District > News Releases (army.mil) 

Background: The Old River Control Structure is a floodgate system in a branch of the Mississippi River in central Louisiana. It regulates the flow of water from the Mississippi into the Atchafalaya River, preventing the Mississippi River from changing course. Completed in 1963, the complex was built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in a side channel of the Mississippi known as "Old River", between the Mississippi's current channel and the Atchafalaya Basin, a former channel of the Mississippi River.