Ostrica Lock/Buras, Louisiana/Empire Lock/Nairn, Louisiana

Ostrica Lock/Buras, Louisiana/Empire Lock/Nairn, Louisiana. Panel #3 Mississippi Riverwalk. , A) Ostrica Lock , Mile 25.2 AHP, This lock connects the river to the Gulf of Mexico through a short channel extending north into Breton Sound. It is used chiefly by fishermen, crew boats, and pleasure craft., B) Buras, Louisiana , Mile 26.0 AHP, Buras is part of the citrus growing area that stretches in a narrow band along the river. The orange and grapefruit are harvested from October through January when the weather permits. Hurricanes have heavily damage Buras and destroyed many older orange groves., C) Empire Lock , Mile 34.5 AHP, This lock is the entrance to the Empire Waterway, a direct navigational channel to the Gulf of Mexico. It is primarily used by commercial vessels carrying seafood, shells, and offshore drilling equipment., D) Nairn, Louisiana , Mile 34.5 AHP, During the flood of 1973, the river began to eat away at the bank in front of the Nairn Levee. Army engineers and local volunteers joined forces to save it. Sandbags, stones, gravel, shell, and ever old car bodies were heaved into the giant hole that the river had gorged. Their efforts held back the river long enough for the Corps of Engineers to build a setback levee to protect Nairn.