Mississippi authorities are blaming the Bonnet Carré spillway for the dead dolphins and turtles washing up on their shore, though Louisiana officials are contesting those claims, and federal scientists are withholding judgment until they know more.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is increasingly reliant on opening the spillway to divert high water from the Mississippi River toward Lake Pontchartrain to prevent flooding around New Orleans. The Corps has opened the gates in three of the last four years, including a 43-day stint that concluded earlier this month.