Mollicy Unit, 16,000-acre, Upper Ouachita National Wildlife Refuge
Flooding
on May 18
2009 of the
North part
of the Mollicy
levee at
Upper Ouachita
NWR being
overtopped
by floodwaters
of the Ouachita
River. Aerial
photo by
Keith Ouchley,
TNC.
Monroe, La. -- Due to high water on the Ouachita River and flooding of the 16,000-acre Mollicy Unit, the East Side of Upper Ouachita National Wildlife Refuge, near Bastrop, La., is closed to ensure public safety.
The unusually high river level is overtopping the obsolete 30-foot tall levee at the refuge that has been targeted for partial removal. Overtopping or even catastrophic failure of the levee does not pose any threat to surrounding communities, and has nothing to do with the flood control levee system protecting the area.
Floodwaters are expected to continue to rise through Wednesday. Water will likely continue to spill onto the floodplain at the refuge for several more days until the river’s level drops below the levee.
