Tuesday, May 10
May 10, 2011Thursday, May 12
May 12, 2011
HOWARD J. CASTAY JR.
St. Mary and Terrebonne parishes have a barge.
Bill Hildago, chairman of the St. Mary Parish Levee District, broke the news Monday during a press conference called by Gov Bobby Jindal.
“As of 2:30 p.m., I have a signed document,” Hidalgo said.
Jindal didn’t miss a beat, jesting, “That’s the quickest I’ve ever seen the [U.S. Army Corps of Engineers] move. Congratulations to you and to all of the parish official and levee districts working together and sharing your resources. You’re helping your communities,” he added.
Hidalgo said the barge should stop the flow of backwater from the Atchafalaya River into Lake Palourde, Terrebonne, lower Lafourche, Assumption, St. Martin and Iberville parishes. “It will be located in Bayou Chene, stretched from Avoca Island to Morgan City, to Terrebonne Parish, and sunk,” he explained.
Sinking a barge to slow floodwaters was first employed in 1073 by former Morgan City mayor Doc Brownell at the urging of landowner Larry Doiron.
Brownell died in 1981. However, Doiron, who is in his early 80s, was present at a public meeting last week, pitching the idea before Hidalgo and other members of the levee district.
“This is wonderful news,” Doiron said of Monday’s announcement that a barge would be used in coming days to help curb floodwaters.
St. Mary Parish Office of Emergency Preparedness Director Duval Arthur said the corps’ approval is an example of what can be done when parishes join forces together and pitch an idea, indicating locals have a better chance of “making the sale and having the government pay for it.”
Terrebonne Parish President Michel Claudet said there is “a critical need” for the barge or any means to slow floodwaters from pouring into south Louisiana.
Morgan City Mayor Tim Matte said he supports the barge plan, but isn’t stopping there.
“Our battle lines for the City of Morgan City are the levees around Lake Palourde,” he said. “We’re doing all we can to keep lake water from getting into the city, which would affect the whole community.
“This is unprecedented,” he said of recent flooding upstream of the Mississippi River. “No one has ever seen anything like this.”
Hidalgo said a structure will be placed at each side of the barge to hold it in place in keeping with corps’ stipulations. When the floodwaters recede, the structures that hold the barge remain in the event the parish is threatened by rising waters in the future.
“We believe the specific project will help reduce the flow of water into areas in St. Mary and Terrebonne parishes that are rotationally subject to flooding,” Col. Edward Fleming of the corps said of the plan.
U.S. Sen. David Vitter holds the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ inundation estimate map as St. Mary Parish Levee Board President Bill Hidalgo discusses where a barge is going to be sunk. HOWARD J. CASTAY JR.
