Morganza Spillway, Flood control dam in Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana, US

The Morganza Spillway is a large water control structure in Louisiana equipped with steel gates that can be opened to redirect floodwaters from the Mississippi River. The gates are operated using overhead cranes that allow precise control of water flow downstream.

The spillway was built in 1954 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers following a major flood control initiative that had started in the previous generation. It was designed to handle the river's most extreme events while protecting downstream communities.

Locals call the structure by the town of Morganza in Pointe Coupee Parish. Residents of the Atchafalaya Basin receive annual written reminders that the spillway may be operated, and each decision to open it is planned so people downstream can move life and property to safety. The 1973 opening was the first in its history.

The site is accessible from nearby roads where you can see the structure along the river, though close-up access to the facility itself is restricted due to security. Early morning or late afternoon light offers better viewing conditions for photographs.

The spillway was first opened in 1973, when high flows damaged the Old River Control Structure; the gates were opened to about half their design capacity. The release caused minor scour at the structure and slight damage to the stilling basin, which was rebuilt afterwards. A concrete stilling basin had been added in 1977 to prevent erosion after the 1973 release scoured the land behind the bays.