Great info, thanks!! One thing I have wondered about is.... why on earth do they even have such canals in the midst of a below-sea-level city lying in a prime floodplain and hurricane zone? Seems like they've created many miles of added vulnerabilities.... yes, I understand (presumably) the canals were created for additional transport to and from industrial areas, but in the rebuilding of NOLA that seems like a luxury they cannot afford -- shouldn't those canals be filled in now??? They can use rail links rather than water transport, I would hope, for such routes within the city....
Why canals? 1) it is a port. 2) drainage. Need someplace for the pumps to pump to. That is not the problem; the problem is there is no buffer between the canals and the peeps.