Friends of Bayou Lafourche Donates New Bayou-Side Park to Nicholls State University

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From left to right: Mrs. Allison Clune (First Lady of Nicholls), Mr. Terry Breaux (Nicholls V.P. for Finances & Administration), Dr. Jay Clune (Nicholls President), Mr. Ryan M. Perque (Friends of Bayou Lafourche Executive Director), Mr. Michael Sorbet (Friends of Bayou Lafourche)

Friends of Bayou Lafourche, Inc. (FOBL) has scheduled a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Nicholls Bayou-Side Park for Thursday, December 16th at 1:30 PM after having recently completed the project and donating the improvements to Nicholls State University. The park, which is now open to the public, includes an off-street parking lot, areas for loading/unloading paddle powered boats, a custom boat slide for paddle powered boats, a pavilion, boardwalk, floating dock, connectivity to the existing walking trail, seating, bike racks, and more.

The concept of revitalizing the university’s batture property began in 2017 when FOBL representatives met with the Nicholls State University administration to discuss the feasibility of developing a comprehensive plan for the property. Shortly after, Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou committed Tourism Investment Program dollars to the development of a master plan for the 7.5-acre tract, and a Cooperative Endeavor Agreement between FOBL and Nicholls was executed. FOBL procured the services of Duplantis Design Group in 2018 to develop a phased master plan through a series of planning meetings with Nicholls administration, faculty, staff, student leaders, and community key stakeholders. Once the master plan was completed, Friends of Bayou Lafourche wasted no time in seeking funding sources that would pay for the construction of the bayou-side park.

The Bayou Lafourche Fresh Water District played a crucial role in assisting with the acquisition of construction dollars for the project. By mid-2019, FOBL had secured enough funding to proceed with the design and construction of the first phase. Funding for phase #1 was committed by the Louisiana Recreational Trails Program, the Lorio Foundation, Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou, and Friends of Bayou Lafourche. In 2020 FOBL hired T. Baker Smith for the design work, which included topographic surveys, a geotechnical study, and engineering. Permitting and construction bidding was completed in late 2020. Foret Contracting Group was selected as the construction contractor for the project and began in January of 2021.


Ryan M. Perque, Executive Director for Friends of Bayou Lafourche, said “This has been a priority project for Friends of Bayou Lafourche since day one and witnessing the utilization of the park over the last several weeks has assured us that the facility was more than needed. We are beyond proud of this accomplishment, but it is only the beginning of our work to revitalize the bayou and we are excited for what the future holds. We have encountered hurdles along the way, but through persistence and the support of many individuals and organizations Friends of Bayou Lafourche is thrilled to have completed this public facility.”

Nicholls State University President, Dr. Jay Clune said “Nicholls State University is the closest Louisiana university to the coast, and Bayou Lafourche is our direct connection to the Gulf. While the bayou has always been across the street from the university, it has been very difficult to access. What the Friends of Bayou Lafourche have done is given our community a way to connect more deeply with our environment and our culture. I could not be more grateful for the work they have done.”