What is MRGO?
The Army Corps of Engineers constructed
MRGO in the 1960s as a shortcut for navigation between New Orleans
and the Gulf of Mexico. Its full name is the Mississippi River Gulf
Outlet, but most locals call it "Mister Go".
Why does MRGO need to be closed?
MRGO increased Hurricane Katrina's
destructive power by:
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Destroying the natural storm
buffer. The construction, use, and maintenance of MRGO caused
the loss of 27,600 acres of wetlands and converted an additional
38,000 acres to higher salinity habitats. During Katrina, levees
that were protected by wetlands remained intact. But levees exposed
to open water, like those along the banks of MRGO, failed.
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Increasing the storm surge.
The south bank of the MRGO levee and the north bank of the Gulf
Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW) levee form a funnel that focused
wind - driven flood waters into the heart of the New Orleans
Metropolitan Area and St. Bernard Parish. During Katrina, the
funnel increased the height and velocity of the surge and
contributed to the failure of levees and floodwalls.
MRGO has also been an economic burden. The
amount of ship traffic - which never reached expected levels - has
decreased while maintenance costs have increased. In 2003, each trip
up or down the channel cost the American taxpayer nearly $20,000.
The Corps is closing MRGO
with a rock dam. Isn't that enough?
No. The rock dam will reduce the
amount of salt water flowing from the Gulf of Mexico into Lake
Pontchartrain, but will not protect communities from
hurricane-induced waves and surge. Congress directed the Corps to
develop a comprehensive closure plan that included wetland restoration by May 2008. The Corps now says the earliest it will issue a draft restoration plan is March 2010.
Won't it cost a lot of money to
close MRGO and restore the wetlands?
Yes. But the cost pales next to the
multi-billion dollar risk that the Greater New Orleans Area and St.
Bernard Parish face as long as MRGO remains open.
What can I do to help?
Please visit our Action Center to write a letter to the President,
get a free yard sign or bumper sticker, and tell your friends about
this issue.
Thanks for your support!
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