Spring is here, which means melting snow is seeping into the U.S. inland water system and making its journey down to the Gulf of Mexico.

Add to that the surplus rain that fell in February on the Mississippi River valley, marking it as one of the wettest Februarys on record. The rising of the Mississippi River happens every year. But this year, the river has risen faster and earlier than normal, usually happening in April or May.

The depth of the river at the Port of South Louisiana district normally hovers around 70 feet deep. In mid-March, the depth was recorded at 120 feet. One concern is that the river is nearing flood stage downriver from the River Region.

According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Mississippi River drains 41 percent of the continental United States and the basin covers more than 1.25 million square miles serving as the third largest drainage basin in the world behind the Amazon and Congo Rivers.

The protection levees in the New Orleans area can withstand the flow of 1.25 million cubic feet per second. In early March, the flow was at 1.1 cubic feet per second. On March 8, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers opened bays of the Bonnet Carré Spillway to minimize flood risk downriver.

This is the fourth time the spillway has been opened in since 2010 and it is the third year in a row. If the flow were to approach 1.5 million cubic feet per second, the USACE would begin to operate the Morganza Floodway. However, it looks like river levels are on the decline.

Another inherent concern stemming from high water levels is the Mississippi River’s powerful current that is making navigation of the Mississippi River precarious. In response, the Port of South Louisiana and the U.S. Coast Guard have joined forces once again, this time to coordinate with local, state and federal agencies in case of emergency situations caused by the rising tide.

In late February, the Port of South Louisiana Marine Operations Division and the U.S. Coast Guard organized a meet and greet with members of the Orleans, Jefferson and Pontchartrain Levee Districts, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Area Maritime Security Council/Law Enforcement and Search and Rescue Subcommittee and other agencies in order for representatives to familiarize themselves with one another and learn each other’s function prior to any Mississippi River emergency event.

Port of South Louisiana Marine Operations and the U.S. Coast Guard have established this on-going partnership to prevent accidents and keep commerce moving on the Mississippi River. Since late February, they have held weekly training and enforcement sessions within the port’s jurisdiction.

In addition, Port of South Louisiana Marine Operations is aiding the U.S. Coast Guard in assessing and ensuring industry safety compliance of vessels and barges berthed or moored at facilities. High water and strong currents can create tension on mooring devices that can rip barges and vessels from their stowage, creating a potentially disastrous midstream obstacle course.

Frequent inspection of facilities’ waterside operations can minimize this potential.

The Port of South Louisiana also helps the U.S. Coast Guard with vessel and tug boat boarding and provides transportation to U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel to board vessels.

Port of South Louisiana’s Marine Operations Division is prepared to respond to any emergency on the Mississippi River 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Its four emergency response vessels, the John James Charles, the PSV Accardo, the PSL Responder and the M/V Nathan Folse are equipped with firefighting/safety equipment and state-of-the-art communications and surveillance equipment that allows the team to be in constant communication with the Maritime Security Operations Center.

The vessels’ crews respond to any maritime security and/or firefighting mission throughout the port district many times to support federal, state and local agencies throughout the lower Mississippi River.

Paul Aucoin is executive director of the Port of South Louisiana. For more information, call 985-652-9278.