The Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet Canal, or MRGO, is a large, man-made tidal channel approximately 76 miles long located in St. Bernard and Orleans Parishes, Louisiana. It was constructed to provide a shorter route for shipping between the Gulf of Mexico and New Orleans' inner harbor via the Intracoastal Waterway. The canal begins near New Orleans East and runs southeast through St. Bernard Parish wetlands west of Lake Borgne to the Gulf of Mexico near Gardner Island. It is a significant, engineered waterway with a history of environmental impact, including contributing to saltwater intrusion and wetlands erosion. Following Hurricane Katrina, the canal was closed to all maritime shipping in 2009, and a permanent storm surge barrier was constructed, fundamentally altering its use. As a result, paddlers should expect no commercial vessel traffic, though the waterway remains a large, open channel.

Paddlers must treat this as a coastal saltwater feature with significant tidal influence. The canal's character is defined by its straight, wide path through marshlands, with the width having eroded over time from an initial 650 feet to as much as 3,000 feet in some areas by 2005, creating a very exposed paddling environment. This substantial fetch makes the canal highly susceptible to wind, which can quickly build choppy conditions, a primary safety consideration. Launch points like the Reggio Boat Ramp are noted nearby on connecting waterways. The surrounding landscape is historically wetland, with cypress forests that were once thick enough for canoe travel in adjacent bayous, though the canal's construction impacted these ecosystems.

The canal's historical and cultural significance is considerable, tied directly to the economic development of the Port of New Orleans and the subsequent engineering and environmental lessons from Hurricane Katrina. Paddling here offers a stark view of a human-altered landscape and the ongoing efforts in wetland restoration. Given its exposure, trips should be planned with meticulous attention to wind forecasts and tide tables, as paddling against a strong wind or an opposing tidal current in such an open channel would be extremely challenging. Water quality and seasonal temperature patterns are not specified, but as a Gulf-influenced estuary, water is brackish to saltwater. There are no indicated restrictions specific to paddling, but the presence of the storm surge barrier and the canal's closure to shipping are critical factors for route planning.