New Orleans HSDRRS (Hurricane Protection) plan. (Many: construction, closing, living in)

[E.RR.Armoneaux]

Hi every one, I'm St.Armoneaux ( my last name ) and I love everything New Orleans n' Louisiana and well for some years now I've been following the Army Corps of Engineers HSDRRS ( Hurricane Storm Damage Risk Reduction System ) project which I absolute agree with.



This project is in the process right now and is forming an all around protection system for New Orleans and parts of the surrounding 5 parishes ( N.O. metro ).



For more information: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers New Orleans District: Index

A video over view: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers New Orleans District: HSDRRS Flyover



So anyways, I know most of what is planned and what has been completed, most of which is agree with but, personally, if I could, I would add a few things:





The Army Corps Levee plan /\





My Add-ons Map/\



Layout of what I added and/ or would do:



Green: Where new wetlands, swamps and/ or marshes will be built for surge protection. The Lake front would be supplied with a canal-way where the lake shore was once before for seperation from the immediate wildlife of the newly created areas beyond it as well as for allowing the existing travel in that area to continue.

And, as you can see I removed the larger bodies of water from the outskirts of the city to lower the large amounts water that surround New Orleans, displacing it elsewhere.



Yellow: Wetland, swamp and marsh restoration or reconstruction/ construction for higher density, and better usage potential as surge protection.



Purple: This will be the wall and levee system, many feet high spanning quite a distance enclosing the whole of the city with sealable doors/ gates for ship passage on the river and other canals and waterways with large traffic.

The purple boxes are the gates, these gates are on passage ways used by ships that ship into New Orleans' ports so to continue the allowance of this but also close off the river in Hurricane situations these gates will be able to close off the river from its flow and deter it to the larger canals to the south.



Canals: Many of the canals on the lake front would be cut off from the lake so new canals will form in the process of the newly formed surge wetland barriers for relevant passage.

Most of the outer protection I included were placed near or replaced existing canals.

The larger dark-blue canal shown on the map would be a deterring system for when the cities gates are closed and the river can no longer flow through, this system would continue The Mississippi to the south through Lake Cataouatche and other lakes farther south into the Gulf to prevent overflowing and flooding or over powering of pumps and levees during a Hurricane in the city.

( I know that wouldn't be realistic with wildlife living in the swamps and such so the area would be changed to accommodate this, the river would not just be allowed to dump and kill the animals in the process of saving the city ).

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The Army Corps project is one that is expected to last for a century, this plan I have created, though not as in depth ( because I have no real reason to go that far into this ) would last much larger because of its a more natural approach. Up keep would be the major tactic to keep this up and that would come with both plans just with mine on a much larger time span and less capital to input with just the possible restoration projects, where as with the HSDDRS equipment will need replacement and decay of materials over time is inevitable.

So what do you all think, how do you feel about this.

And please people this is just an idea of mine, don't ask questions like " Where would the money to support such a mad scheme come from? " or " Are you serious, this is so impractical, do you really think this would work? "

I know how harsh some of you can be, so just relax, ok

This is just something I was thinking about, the main topic though is the Army Corps plan: HSDRRS.

[Neworleansisprettygood]

How, ftom an engineering standpoint, would gates on the river actually work?

[E.RR.Armoneaux]

Originally Posted by Neworleansisprettygood

How, ftom an engineering standpoint, would gates on the river actually work?

Well I'm not an engineer ( hope to be someday, starting my first semester in a few months actually ).

But, what I was thinking was a struture that would set feets below the rivers floor spanning from one side, feets beyond the rivers shore, to the other. They would be about 5 feet thick and about 16-20 feet high.

These doors would be made of mainly concrete into a arch shape and when needed to move would be powered by a water presure system for ease and added electrically opertives for emergencies.


They would be built with concretes and rebar for structural support against the forces of the enevitable water pressure.

Both sides of the river would have a movable gate ( a dual system ). Each sides door would be the same length, which would vary for each river gate post. When the doors close they will stand side by side, one in front the other opposite in direction to the rivers flow.

When closed the door opposite to, lets say the rivers northshore, will connect to a four lock system on the opposite side ( in this case the southshore ). I'll draw a picture to explain this more.

Before the doors close the gates of The " what i would call LHRB ( Louisiana Hurricane River Brech ): which in the picture is the blue shape to the south west of the city " would open. This would lessen the possible pressure that would build against the doors if it were not done as well as removing the possiblity of river overflow causeing flooding.