The Caernarvon Fresh Water Diversion Project in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, is the largest freshwater diversion project ever built in the United States. It is also believed to be the first structure ever built through the Mississippi River levee. The first part of a three-project freshwater diversion plan for southeast Louisiana, Caernarvon will divert approximately 60,000 gallons per second for fresh Mississippi River water into the marshes of Breton South Basin.
Built at a total cost of $25.9 million, the diversion will improve fish and wildlife productivity over the next 50 years by establishing more favorable salinity conditions. The diverted fresh water should preserve up to 16,000 acres of wetlands in the basin and benefit 77,000 acres of marshes and bays.
Rodney Hunt Company supplied the five 15' x 15' cast iron, bronze mounted sluice gates to control the water flow from the Mississippi River into the canal and marshland. The gates are among the largest every manufactured, and are designed to withstand a seating head of 20' and an unseating head of 13'. The total weight of each gate is 57,000 lbs

Back Projects Home