Norco in St. Charles Parish, Louisiana — The American South (West South Central)
Bonnet Carré Spillway
National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark
Photographed by Cajun Scrambler, June 12, 2026
1. Bonnet Carré Spillway Marker
The United States Army Corps of Engineers built this spillway to protect the City of New Orleans from catastrophic flood events. The construction of this structure marked the end of the levees-only policy and ushered in the era of flood management on the Mississippi River through the use of levees, spillways and control structures. The needle-controlled weir structure is 7700 feet in length and includes 350 bays opened individually to divert flood waters into Lake Pontchartrain.
Opened: August 30, 1931
Designated: December 13, 2017
Second Marker
Built 1929-1931
Eligible for listing on the
National Register of Historic Places
By the United States Department of Interior
Third Marker
U.S.Army Corps of Engineers New Orleans District
BG. Harley Ferguson, Division Engineer Lower Mississippi River Division
Maj. W.H. Holcomb, Second New Orleans District Engineer
Maj. E.S.J. Irvine, Project Engineer
Constructed 1929-1936
Erected 2017 by American Society of Civil Engineers.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Man-Made Features • Notable Places
this page online
Location. 30° 0.049′ N, 90° 25.747′ W. Marker is in Norco, Louisiana, in St. Charles Parish. It can be reached from River Road 0.3 miles north of Eighth Street, on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 16302 River Rd, Norco LA 70079, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the River Parishes and in Greater New Orleans. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Deep South, on the Gulf Coast, and in the Great River Road Region. Globally, it is in North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, the Louisiana Purchase, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 5 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Home Place (approx. 2½ miles away); Flagville (approx. 2.9 miles away); The Historic Bethlehem Baptist Church Of Flagville, Louisiana (approx. 3 miles away); Bonnet Carré Crevasse (approx. 3 miles away); L'Anse Aux Outardes (approx. 3.1 miles away); Fashion Plantation (approx. 3½ miles away); Les Allemands (approx. 3.9 miles away); Settlement Of The German Coast (approx. 4.1 miles away).
Photographed by Cajun Scrambler, June 12, 2026
2. Bonnet Carré Spillway Marker
Second Marker
Photographed by Cajun Scrambler, June 12, 2026
3. Bonnet Carré Spillway Marker
Third Marker
Photographed by Cajun Scrambler, June 12, 2026
4. Bonnet Carré Spillway Marker
Photographed by Cajun Scrambler, June 12, 2026
5. Bonnet Carré Spillway
Credits. This page was last revised on June 12, 2026. It was originally submitted on June 12, 2026, by Cajun Scrambler of Assumption, Louisiana. This page has been viewed 12 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on June 12, 2026, by Cajun Scrambler of Assumption, Louisiana.
