Forecast: River to hover near 8 feet

The Atchafalaya River is approaching its projected 8-foot crest in Morgan City, and forecasters expect the river to stay around 8 feet through early next week.
The projected crest of the Atchafalaya River at Morgan City will be Jan. 23, according to the National Weather Service. As of 9 a.m. today, the river was at 7.91 feet in Morgan City.
The river may temporarily rise up to 8.1 feet Thursday afternoon due to possibly severe storms and strong winds expected to come through the area, National Weather Service Meteorologist Roger Erickson said.
Erickson expects the river to stay close to 8 feet for the next six days, he said. Fore-casters predict the Atchafalaya to stay above 6 feet, which is flood stage in Morgan City, for about another month, he said.
Workers officially closed off Bayou Chene at the temporary flood protection structure Saturday, St. Mary Levee District Executive Director Tim Matte said. That structure protects up to six parishes from flooding.
As of this morning, the water level on the protected side of the structure was 1.25 feet lower than water on the unprotected side, Matte said. The Louisiana National Guard’s work to build levees of HESCO baskets filled with sand on Avoca Island finished Tuesday.
Building levees on Avoca Island was necessary to keep floodwaters from bypassing the Bayou Chene structure. Work finished Friday to close two pipeline canals by Tabor Canal in Terrebonne Parish also to keep waters from bypassing the Bayou Chene structure, Matte said.
Levee district officials will pay attention to water levels in the coming weeks to determine how long to keep the Bayou Chene temporary structure in place, he said.
Morgan City officials have closed 10 of the city’s 27 floodgates and may close one more gate at Belanger Street, Chief Administrative Officer Marc Folse said. Gates closed include Freret Street, Railroad Avenue and Front Street, the S.P.T.C. Spur-S. Track, S.P.T.C.-Four Tracks, Shell Oil, New Park Environmental, Brashear Avenue West, Brashear Avenue East and three gates at PMI Envi-ronmental Services.
Berwick officials have closed seven of the town’s 10 floodgates, Mayor Louis Ratcliff said.
St. Martin Parish officials will suspend sandbagging operations at noon Friday at the park located at 3257 La. 70 in Stephensville, according to the St. Martin Parish Sheriff’s Office.