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Coleen Perilloux Landry | all galleries >> Galleries >> Bonnet Carre' Spillway in St. Charles Parish, Louisiana Gallery > Batture Living-Saved by the Bonnet Carre' Spillway
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22 May 2011 Coleen Perilloux Landry

Batture Living-Saved by the Bonnet Carre' Spillway

New Orleans and Jefferson line

I have always envied these batture people who live between the River levee and the Mississippi River. They get to feel the spirit of the River all the day and night. Once a year when the River rises, they risk having to evacuate and lose their belongings. There are only 10 houses in this area now and the Corps is battling them to give up their property. One of the houses is a plantation house over a hundred years old. I hope they battle forever.
This statue is in one of the yards of the batture dwellers. If the Bonnet Carre' Spillway 20 miles upriver from this were not opened the water would probably have covered the statue and floated the houses. The Spillway takes the pressure off the levees and anything downriver towards New Orleans, which is why it was built.


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Neal Nye23-May-2011 11:28
Interesting how something so miserable can make such a lovely image. Wonderful reflections.
Yvonne23-May-2011 06:34
I can imagine how spectacular this garden must be without the water Coleen, so sad
if it and the house is ruined forever.
Cindi Smith23-May-2011 04:20
They should battle them until they win. No one has the right to run folks off their own property! Hopefully they will win!
J. Scott Coile23-May-2011 03:38
Fight on!
Dennis Hoyne23-May-2011 03:21
A beauty shot, I enjoy the background information too!
Hank Vander Velde23-May-2011 00:56
Nice shot and commentary Coleen.
A J Adams22-May-2011 23:46
Nice shot,I didn't know there were houses on that side of the levee.
Ed Preston22-May-2011 23:09
That is a real darned if you do, darned if you don't situation Coleen! Most
years they have the ups, this year however they have the downs! Nicely seen!
joanteno22-May-2011 22:57
Oh dear.. having live through a Flood where we lost everything at the age of 12 - where a levee that everyone believed would not collapse - it is quite scary.
LynnH22-May-2011 22:11
It looks as if she is wading in the waist-deep water. Some people love the river and don't mind the peril to their property. I admire them in a way.
laine22-May-2011 22:08
Something tells me that their strength is mightier than the river...let it be!!
Karen Stuebing22-May-2011 21:24
I think if people want to live where it floods, they should be allowed to do so. Love this photo of the water taking over the property.
nightwings22-May-2011 21:01
Two issues there, it is unsafe to be there, BUT, the people were there long before the levees were built. Such a shame that they will lose things, BUT we're alos sure they knew it was a flood zone before they built, even waaaayy back then
Guest 22-May-2011 20:54
A way of life that is being treated by the govt, like sooo many others.
If the govt gets it's way we can kiss good ole USofA good by...
Guest 22-May-2011 20:30
the river is mighty but this statue looks very pretty standing in it. V
Russell Christie22-May-2011 20:20
I went to Vicksburg this week to shoot the flood, Im sure there is plenty of water downstream as well. Russell