Wake erodes shoreline

Angling southeast from the city the MRGO provides a shorter path to the Gulf than the Mississippi river and allows  access to the inner harbor  by traffic which would be too large for the locks on the  Industrial Canal. MrGO was expected to provide access to the container ship processing facilities in the inner harbor which have since been duplicated along the river.

Built between 1956 and 1965 the outlet has long been a source of economic and ecological contention. The Corps of Engineers is responsible for the waterway and spends $13-$22 million per year dredging the channel to maintain its 36 foot depth. Originally 650 feet wide the canal has spread to over 2000 feet in some sections.

Without a current, the waterway invites salt water into the coastal wetlands and has been implicated in the destruction of the wetlands, a magnificent cypress forest, and the fur trapping industry in St. Bernard. A 1958 environmental study warned of these effects before MRGO was opened.

Prior to Katrina the waterway carried only 14 barges per month. A few businesses depend on the MRGO including the massive Cold Storage facility. The Port of New Orleans, the Corps of Engineers and the Louisiana congressional delegation has defended it steadily against concerns raised by the populace. The leadership and population of St. Bernard Parish have been ignored for years as they have protested this canal.

Implicated in the Hurricane Katrina flooding of New Orleans, postK dredging was placed on hold while the Corps studied the issue.

Finally in 2007 it looks like Congress and the Corps are ready to deauthorize and close this waterway. Unable to repair all the damage they have caused, they will build a rock dam at Bayou la Loutre, a natural ridge south of St. Bernard Parish. With additional measures like restoration of coastal barrier islands and diversion of fresh water and silt from the river the St. Bernard wetlands can begin to recover. The Corps is scheduled to release a comprehensive plan in December 2007.