Charles Bush Photography Newsletter
Water Levels in the Atchafalaya River
The water levels in the Atchafalaya River, where much of my photo tours are conducted, are dependent upon the Water levels in the Mississippi River. The Atchafalaya is a tributary of the Mississippi and in fact once was the main channel of the river. North of Baton Rouge there is a structure, called the Morganza floodway, that controls the flow allowed into the Atchafalaya and except for when there is a risk of flooding downriver, regulates the flow into the Atchafalaya at 30 % of that going into the Mississippi. There were projections last week, that suggested the Floodway would need to be opened to mitigate a risk of flooding to the populated areas in and around New Orleans. Fortunately the level has been less than projected and the floodway is not expected to be opened. The level of the River may be tracked here.
Even though the levels aren't as high as projected, the river will be much higher than normal allowing access into areas we normally can't reach. For example, Cow Island Lake is an ideal place to photograph Osprey in flight, the River level must exceed 15 feet to allow access. Many years we aren't able to get in. While I suspect levels will be lower by the time of the tours, we'll be keeping an eye on the River Levels between now and then and adjust the itinerary to match the conditions.
Photography Classes and Presentations
During the Spring I have numerous classes scheduled in New Orleans. I'm also scheduled to present to the Lafayette Photographic Society on April 11, 2016. Check out the classes on my Web Site here.
Spring Photo Tours
The Spring Photo tours may be viewed here.
This will be my 12th year leading these tours. For that time I've teamed with the folks at "The Atchafalaya Experience", who are second to none and get us into some incredible areas for photography. While each year is a bit different due to changes in the environment and weather conditions, each has gotten a bit better. Since the loss of the Rookery at Lake Martin, we have found alternatives that offer even better photography of wading birds, including Roseate Spoonbills, as well as other opportunities such as Osprey in flight.
Please consider joining one of the tours this year.