Rigolets

The Rigolets is a 12.9 kilometer (8 mi) long strait in Louisiana. It begins at coord|30|10|40|N|89|44|40|W| and follows a generally eastward course to Lake Borgne, which is a lagoon in the Gulf of Mexico. Along with nearby Chef Menteur Pass, the Rigolets connects Lake Pontchartrain and Lake St. Catherine to Lake Borgne. [cite web
title=The Rigolets
work=USGS Geographic Names Information System
url=Gnis3|540673
accessdate=2006-04-17] [cite web
title=Comprehensive Habitat Management Plan for the Lake Pontchartrain Basin
work=Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation
date=2005-11-18
format=PDF
url=http://www.saveourlake.org/pdfs/CHMP%2011-18-05%20web%20release.pdf
accessdate=2006-04-15] It forms the boundary between New Orleans (Orleans Parish) and St. Tammany Parish.

"Rigolets" comes from the word "rigole", French for "trench" or "gutter." The name is locally pronounced "RIG-uh-leez."

As a deepwater tidal pass, the Rigolets helps supply salt water from the Gulf to Lake Pontchartrain. [cite web
title=Martello Castle Background Information
work=Wetland Education through Maps and Aerial Photography
url=http://www.wetmaap.org/
accessdate=2006-04-17] Tidal scouring has produced a deep pit in the lake at the western mouth of the strait. [cite web
title=Basin Geology
work=Environmental Atlas of the Lake Pontchartrain Basin
url=http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2002/of02-206/geology/bath-map.html
accessdate=2006-04-17] Since the Rigolets is a channel through which Gulf storm surges can approach the New Orleans area, there are proposals to construct floodgates. [cite web
title=Full flood safety in New Orleans could take billions and decades
work=Louisiana Dept. of Natural Resources
url=http://dnr.louisiana.gov/sec/execdiv/pubinfo/newsr/2005/1129sec-nytimesreprint.ssi
accessdate=2006-04-17]

Fort Pike was constructed to protect the Rigolets.

The Rigolets is spanned by two bridges. The western terminus of the U.S. Route 90 Rigolets Bridge is located immediately north of Fort Pike. It has required major repairs following damage caused by Hurricane Katrina in August 2005. [cite press release
publisher = Louisiana Dept. of Transportation & Development
date = 2005-09-07
title = DOTD inspects movable bridges in hurricane-affected area
url = http://www.dotd.louisiana.gov/press/pressrelease.asp?nRelease=517 ] Farther south, the CSX railroad crosses the Rigolets on a 1,388-meter (4,555-ft) bridge. [cite news
first=Tom
last=Judge
url=http://www.looksmarthobbies.com/p/articles/mi_m1215/is_11_206/ai_n15895243
title=Bridging to recovery
work=Railway Age
accessdate=2006-04-15 ] Hurricane damage there included shifted spans and the loss of timber decking. [cite web
title=Restoring Katrina-ravaged bridges
work=Railway Track and Structures
url=http://www.rtands.com/B/feature2.html
accessdate=2006-04-15]

References