Posted on March 31, 2019
The state Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority is pledging $80 million to build a permanent floodgate across Bayou Chene in St. Mary Parish.
Funding would come from federal Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act revenue, Gov. John Bel Edwards announced Wednesday. GOMESA allows Gulf Coast states to share in revenue from oil and gas production in the Gulf.
In 2011 and 2016, the St. Mary Levee District responded to high water on the Mississippi and Atchafalaya rivers by building temporary flood control structures to protect parts of St. Mary, Terrebonne, Lafourche, St. Martin, Assumption and Iberville Parishes. The structure prevented three feet of water from flooding these parishes, officials say.
CPRA incorporated the project into both the 2012 and 2017 Coastal Master Plans. The agency put $5 million toward the engineering and design and has now identified an additional $75 million from GOMESA for construction.
The floodgate to be built on Bayou Chene, south of Avoca Island, can be closed when high water threatens, providing a permanent solution to protect citizens and property in the parish, CPRA Chairman Chip Kline said.
“CPRA primarily looks to the GOMESA revenue stream to provide flood protection to coastal communities,” Kline said. “When projects like this one can reduce risk for multiple jurisdictions and parishes, we know we are making the right investment.”
St. Mary Parish President David Hanagriff said it took 15 days to design, bid, build and install a temporary barge floodgate in 2016.
“It did the job but it wasn’t cheap and it had to be removed after the flood threat passed because it was blocking navigation,” he said. “Having a permanent structure we can open and close is a better, smarter solution.”
The flood control project will feature steel receiving structures on the banks of Bayou Chene with a 400-foot barge gate that can swing into place and be sunk, providing an elevation against storm surge of 10 feet. It will include braced steel sheet pile floodwalls also elevated to 10 feet, officials say.
Source: watchdog.org
