Parish chiefs review levee progress

Twenty parish and state government representatives, levee district officials and area residents participated in a tour, Friday, of progress being made during construction of the $483,000 Pointe-aux-Chenes tie-in levee that will connect one link of the Morganza to the Gulf hurricane protection system from Bayou Pointe-aux-Chenes in Terrebonne Parish to Cut Off in Lafourche Parish.

The 700 linear-foot levee stands at a height of 8 feet and is the first section of the Morganza project to be built within Lafourche Parish, financed through local agencies and constructed jointly with local manpower.

With secured funding, officials in Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes pooled their resources to make the most of their dollars and construct a structure that meets federal requirements without having to deal with red tape from the Corps of Engineers, which has frustrated locals since the Morganza to the Gulf program began.

“This project is being paid [through] the Terrebonne Levee District, but they are working in partnership with the South Lafourche Levee District, North Lafourche Levee District, Lafourche Parish Government and Terrebonne Parish Government,” All South Consulting Engineers Vice President Stephen Smith said.

Construction of this tie-in levee, which will eventually include a floodgate across Bayou Pointe-aux-Chenes, began in July and is expected to be complete by Oct. 8. The contractor of this project is Merlin Lirette of Houma.

“He has a good base in right now,” Smith said. “The real levee [construction] will begin this week.”

“This is one additional link in the puzzle,” Terrebonne Parish President Michel Claudet said. “Obviously, we need protection in lower Pointe-aux-Chenes. This is a great step by the Terrebonne Levee District and work in conjunction with the Lafourche Parish government and the two Lafourche Parish levee districts as well as Terrebonne Parish government.”

“[Working together] is the way of the future,” Lafourche Parish President Charlotte Randolph said. “We’ve got to join forces and make this happen. None of us has the resources to do it individually, but collectively we can provide the protection we need.”

State Sen. Norby Chabert praised officials in Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes and said their example is one state government should look at as the parishes make it easier to accomplish their common goals.

“The best thing that this project has going for it is that it utilizes agencies including the north and south Lafourche levee districts and Terrebonne Levee District,” Chabert said. “Anytime you go to Baton Rouge and ask for help from a funding standpoint it is good to have the people of the area willing to put up some of their own money that can be utilized. People in Baton Rouge recognize that people [in Lafourche and Terrebonne parishes] are willing to protect ourselves because nobody else is going to do it for us.”

Area residents Russell Dardar, Donald Dardar and Earl Billiot were present for the tour and statements by regional dignitaries.

“It should help,” Russell Dardar said. “[The levee] will slow the water and that is all you can hope for.”

“I think it is pretty good,” Billiot said. “We are better than before because now we have something to protect ourselves. I think this is the first time the parishes have worked together like this.”

“We needed to connect that way,” added Donald Dardar.

“Because of where this [levee] is, it requires all these [local] agencies and governments to work together,” Smith said. “It is not like we are building on an existing levee. On this one, we are starting at ground zero and bringing it up.”

“It is a joint effort,” Claudet said. “Anything we can do together to protect the citizens, both Terrebonne and Lafourche in this particular area, we support.”

State and parish government and levee construction representatives look over plans during a tour of the Pointe-aux-Chenes tie-in levee. This project is a joint effort of neighboring parishes and the first arm of the Morganza-to-the-Gulf hurricane protection system to be constructed in Lafourche Parish. MIKE NIXON