Bayou Chene flood control work moves foward

St. Mary Levee District officials are moving forward with preliminary design of its roughly $100 million Bayou Chene Flood Control and Diversion Project with a target to finish final design in time to start construction by February 2017.
The St. Mary Levee District Commission met Thursday at the Parish Courthouse in Franklin.
In August, the levee district learned it would receive BP oil spill settlement money from the Restore Act to fund the Bayou Chene project. Levee district officials are now proceeding with the preliminary design phase of the project.
The levee district wants to be finished with both the preliminary and final design by February 2017 when Restore Act funds become available, St. Mary Levee District Executive Director Tim Matte said.
The Bayou Chene Flood Control and Diversion Project involves installing a permanent structure on Bayou Chene in the Amelia area, near the former McDermott yard, with a barge that can be sunk in the event of a flood to stop flood waters from traveling through Bayou Chene. The structure is expected to have a 250-foot opening for vessel traffic to pass through except when the structure is in use for flood protection.
The structure would protect St. Mary, Terrebonne, Lafourche, lower St. Martin and Assumption parishes from flooding.
On Thursday, the commission authorized CB&I to proceed with preliminary design, subject to receipt of a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permit, at a cost of $2.8 million and complete that phase by mid-April 2016.
After finishing preliminary design, the district will expend another $2.4 million on final design, Matte said.
The Terrebonne Parish Levee District and U.S. Economic Development Administration are helping to fund the design of the Bayou Chene project, Matte said.
Also during Thursday’s meeting, the commission approved Commission President Bill Hidalgo to draft a letter disagreeing with Avoca Inc.’s assessments of the alleged negative impact of the Bayou Chene Flood Control and Diversion Project on Avoca Island.
Engineer Jeff Peña of CB&I said the levee district is actually adding to current levee protection already in place by raising a road on Avoca Island.
Commissioners approved authorizing a five-year lease agreement with the Port of Morgan City to lease 2,680 square feet of office space on the second floor in its new $11 million Government Emergency and Operations Center on La. 182 by the Morgan City Municipal Auditorium.
The levee district will move from the office it currently leases from the port at its facility on Youngs Road in Morgan City.
The 35,000-square-foot, two-story emergency and operations center is a Category 5 hurricane resistant facility that will be used as an emergency command center in the event of a hurricane. The Port of Morgan City will have office space in addition to the expected primary tenant, the U.S. Coast Guard, Matte said.
Space at the new center will allow the levee district more room to store documents, Matte said.
Port of Morgan City Executive Director Raymond “Mac” Wade said officials chose the site because agencies already gather at the auditorium during hurricane or flooding emergencies.
Officials hope to have accommodations ready for the levee district to move into the building before the end of the year, Wade said. The first floor of the building should be complete by the end of October, he said.
Design work is also progressing on the Morgan City Levee Improvements Project. The Levee District is partnering with St. Mary Parish Consolidated Gravity Drainage District No. 2 on this project. Officials are looking to raise levees in the Morgan City area to provide for 100-year flood protection.
Engineers have completed the plans for the Siracusaville portion of the project, which will be the first section to go out to bid for construction, Engineer Kevin O’Gorman of T. Baker Smith said. Engineers are working on the mitigation requirements for that part of the project, he said.
Final plans for the Lake End Park to Justa Street section of the project are due in December, O’Gorman said. Thirty percent of the design is complete on the part to raise La. 70 by Lake End Park and incorporate the highway into the levee system, he said.
The commission additionally approved submitting three projects to receive state capital outlay funds including the Bayou Chene Flood Control and Diversion Project, Bayou Teche Flood Control Project and for levee work west of Charenton.

This story was written by Zachary Fitzgerald of The Daily Review staff. Reach him at zfitzgerald@daily-review.com.