The Bonnet Carre Spillway in November 1930. The Spillway took six years to complete and cost $13,000,000. Located 32 miles upriver from the city, the Spillway, when opened, diverts flood-level waters from the Mississippi River into Lake Pontchartrain.
The Bonnet Carre Spillway was built as a direct result of the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927, the most destructive river flood in the U.S. After the disaster, the federal government constructed the world’s longest system of levees and floodways in an attempt to manage the waters of the Mississippi River. The primary protection built for the city of New Orleans was the Bonnet Carre Spillway.
The Bonnet Carre Spillway was dedicated and declared officially completed on Friday, December 13, 1935. The day of the dedication was declared a city holiday by Mayor Walmsley. Trains were scheduled to bring people from the city to attend, with roundtrip tickets costing 80 cents. Many people also drove, creating a miles-long traffic jam as cars had to park 6 abreast, leaving only a narrow lane on the highway for trucks to pass through.
Tulane University suspended engineering classes so students could attend the dedication. Many political leaders also attended, including former Congressman Frank R. Reid, who championed the flood control bill of 1928 and cut the ribbon to officially open the Spillway.
After the 10:30 am dedication ceremonies at the Spillway, several hundred of the more distinguished delegates returned to New Orleans on the Steamer Capitol. During their 90-min river cruise, they were served lunch and entertained by the LSU band.
Back in New Orleans, a ten-band parade marched from the river up Canal to Claiborne and back again. After the parade was an event at Eads Plaza featuring a 21-gun salute by Washington Artillery as the Capitol arrived, followed by a Louisiana Historical Society pageant performed by hundreds of local high-school students that detailed the history of “Man’s Conquest of the River” from the arrival on the river of the Spanish in 1519, all the way up to the completion of the Spillway.
The day ended with a public banquet at the Roosevelt Hotel, featuring film strips, presentations, and Miss Louise Remanjon providing readings of Cajun sketches to the audience.
The Bonnet Carre Spillway was first opened on January 28, 1937, and has been opened just over a dozen times in its 90-year history.
