Caernarvon, Louisiana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Caernarvon
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 Caernarvon
Location in Louisiana
Caernarvon
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Louisiana |
| Parish | St. Bernard Parish |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
Caernarvon is a small, unincorporated community in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, United States. An "unincorporated community" means it's a place where people live, but it doesn't have its own local government like a city or town. The name Caernarvon comes from a plantation that used to be here. Many believe the plantation was named after a famous town and castle in Wales. Long ago, many large plantations in the American South were given names that sounded grand or reminded people of places in Europe.
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History of Caernarvon
Caernarvon is well-known for its part in the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927. During this huge flood, people used dynamite to break open the levee (a wall built to hold back water) near Caernarvon. They hoped this would stop the floodwaters from reaching and damaging the city of New Orleans.
However, this plan didn't work as expected. The levee system broke in other places farther north. This meant the floodwaters didn't threaten New Orleans anyway. But the explosion at Caernarvon caused a lot of damage in St. Bernard and Plaquemines Parishes.
Controlling Floods in Louisiana
The Mississippi River has many systems to control floods. These systems help protect communities from rising waters.
Spillways and Diversions
After the big flood of 1927, the Bonnet Carre Spillway was built to help manage river levels. Another early project, the Bohemia Spillway, was finished in 1926. It was one of the first attempts to protect New Orleans from floods.
Since the 1990s, several "diversion projects" have been started. These projects help control floods and also restore marshlands. Marshlands are important wetlands that protect the coast.
Caernarvon Freshwater Diversion
The Caernarvon Freshwater Diversion was built in 1991. It is located about 15 miles south of New Orleans. This project was built near where the levee was destroyed in 1927.
The diversion has five large gates. These gates can let a lot of river water flow into a special canal. This canal then carries the water to areas like Big Mar pond, Bayou Mandeville, and Lake Lery. This flow of fresh water has helped create a new land area called the Caernarvon Delta.
Davis Pond Freshwater Diversion
Because the Caernarvon project was successful, other flood control structures were built. One of these is the Davis Pond Freshwater Diversion Structure. It was completed in 2004.
This structure helps send sediments (tiny bits of dirt and sand) and nutrients (things plants need to grow) into the Barataria Bay estuary. An estuary is where fresh river water mixes with salty ocean water. This helps keep 777,000 acres of marshes and bays healthy.
Bayou Lafourche Project
In 1903, the Bayou Lafourche was cut off from the Mississippi River. This meant less fresh water flowed into the bayou. Over time, salt water from the Gulf of Mexico started to move in, which affected drinking water and the natural environment.
In the 1950s, a pumping station was installed to bring some fresh water back. Later, in 2001, a project was planned to bring even more fresh water into Bayou Lafourche. This project aims to provide a steady flow of fresh water all year round.
This project helps the coastal wetlands by giving them a continuous supply of fresh water. It also helps fight against the salt water moving further inland from the Gulf. Parts of this project have involved dredging (cleaning out) sections of Bayou Lafourche to improve water flow.
Education
Students living in Caernarvon attend schools in the St. Bernard Parish Public Schools system. As of 2007, Chalmette High School serves the community.
