Study would show positive impact of flood control

The St. Mary Levee District is moving forward with a study aimed at showing the economic impact of efforts during the 2011 flood to block Bayou Chene, which protected several parishes from floods, according to officials.
At Thursday’s St. Mary Levee District commission meeting, the board approved an amendment to CB&I’s contract for the Bayou Chene Flood Control and Diversion Project to pay $29,000 in consulting fees needed to address permitting issues relating to the project and $17,000 for an economic study relating to the 2011 flood fight.
The estimated $80 million project includes a permanent structure that will block Bayou Chene so that water cannot travel from Bayou Chene through Bayou Boeuf to Lake Palourde.
St. Mary Levee District Executive Director Tim Matte said residents in Lafourche, Terrebonne, lower St. Martin and Assumption parishes benefited greatly in 2011, when district officials installed a barge in Bayou Chene to block the flood.
“We would like to put some numbers to that to remind the region that that’s the case because, if it comes down to having to implement a project like that again, we really do need some partners,” Matte said.
The study is designed to identify what structures would have potentially been subject to flooding in 2011 had it not been for the levee district’s actions, Matte said. Showing the damages prevented in other parishes may help the St. Mary Levee District get state legislators to push for funding, he said.
“I think being able to say, ‘Hey, this is the amount of damage that was prevented by the expenditures by the St. Mary Levee District,’ could go a long way,” Matte said.
The permanent structure in Bayou Chene will consist of a pad and the steel barge that will stay attached to a gate with a 250-foot opening. Mike Lowe of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said the Bayou Chene floodgate permit is still being reviewed by the corps’ engineering division.
The levee district has sufficient funding to get through the design phase of the Bayou Chene project with grant money and from its partnership with Terrebonne Parish, Matte said. More than $2 million has been spent, thus far, on the project, and officials would need to spend another $3 million to complete the design, Matte said.
“We could actually accomplish that in 2015 maybe early 2016 and actually be ready to go out to bid, if we had the permit,” Matte said.
After the 2011 flood, the levee district left wing walls and sheet pile permanently in place in Bayou Chene, he said. In 2011, the levee district had to install a 400-foot barge, but also had to install 1,000 feet of sheet pile in Bayou Chene, Matte said.
The goal of the Bayou Chene Flood Control and Diversion Project is to install a floating barge with a gate that will swing into place and sink when officials need to block flood waters, Matte said. Once the levee district can get some Restore Act funds for the project, Matte hopes it can begin to move toward construction, he said.
Also during Thursday’s meeting, Matte announced that the corps is hosting a meeting March 23 to discuss preparation for the upcoming high water season. At this early stage in the season, officials cannot make an accurate prediction as to how high the water will get, Matte said.
“My experience has certainly been that it’s that rainfall in the Ohio Valley that really is going to be the determining factor as to whether or not we have high water,” Matte said.
Levee district officials have already looked into what items the area would need if a high water event occurred, Matte said.
The levee district is in good shape to be able to get additional pumps, if necessary, with the Franklin Canal and Hanson Canal structures both in place, Matte said.
If Bayou Chene needed to be closed, barges are available to block off that bayou to stop potential flood waters, Matte said. Hanson Canal, Yellow Bayou and the Franklin Canal are in much better shape to be able to close those waterways with infrastructure that’s already in place, Matte said.
In other business, the commission
—Approved amending a task order for the first two phases of the Bayou Teche project to start the permitting process and do mitigation work. The cost of the amendment is $54,600. Levee district officials plan to reapply for a statewide flood program grant and capital outlay funds regarding this project, Matte said.
—Approved increasing the contract for the Wax Lake East Improvement project in the amount of roughly $12,000.
—Approved renewal of Miller Engineers Master Service Agreement.
—Approved a resolution in opposition to the implementation of an executive order for the new Federal Flood Risk Management Standard.
—Approved a resolution in support of a House bill by state Rep. Sam Jones, D-Franklin, to clarify the levee district’s authority to be the non-federal, local sponsor for levees in St. Mary Parish as recognized by the Corps of Engineers.
—Approved a payment for construction of the gas line at the Franklin Canal Pump Station.

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