The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and State of Louisiana’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) have signed partnering agreements to initiate four flood and storm damage risk reduction feasibility studies in South Louisiana.
Col. Michael Clancy, commander of the USACE New Orleans District, and CPRA Chairman Johnny Bradberry signed Feasibility Cost Share Agreements for the South Central La. feasibility study, Upper Barataria Basin feasibility study, Lake Pontchartrain and Vicinity (LPV) General Reevaluation Report and West Bank and Vicinity (WBV) General Reevaluation Report.
Each study was recently funded by the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 to be conducted at full federal expense up to $3 million.
“The people in these project areas are frequently subjected to significant flood events ,” said Col. Michael Clancy . “These studies allow an evaluation of traditional and innovative alternatives for reducing their vulnerability to flood and storm damage.”
“Reducing storm damage risk for Louisiana’s coastal communities is critical to our mission. Once completed, these studies will further identify and propose solutions to reduce vulnerability and improve the resiliency of our coastal communities ,” said CPRA Chairman Johnny Bradberry.
The South Central Louisiana Coastal Flood Risk Reduction study was authorized in 2006 to determine the feasibility of providing hurricane and storm damage risk reduction and environmental restoration within Iberia, St. Mary and St. Martin parishes.
Flood risk management approaches that may be considered include levees and floodwalls, hydraulic and salinity control structures, marsh creation and restoration, non-structural efforts and shoreline stabilization measures.
The Upper Barataria Basin Flood Risk Management study, authorized in 1998, will investigate alternatives to address flood risk from tidal surges, coastal storms and heavy rainfall in the area between Bayou Lafourche and the Mississippi River system.
The study will evaluate a range of structural and non-structural approaches to regulate upper basin stages and storage capabilities. Possible solutions include a combination of small scale levees and floodwalls, conveyance channels, flood gates, tidal exchange structures, flood walls and pumping stations.