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July 4, 2017
Terrebonne Parish residents had an up-close and personal experience with the levee system they built, in a safe and cool environment where questions were answered and concepts were shaped into understandable reality.
The parish’s Coastal Day event at the Houma-Terrebonne Civic Center drew about 700 people. They stood beside models of the Morganza system’s levee walls, getting a first-hand idea of how tall they actually stand. There were videos and interactive wall-sized maps that helped people figure where various flood-protection projects are located near them.
The brain-child of Terrrebonne Parish President Gordon Dove, the awareness day combined various media to tell the story of the levee system, and provided what he hoped would be a better overall understanding.
“Having over 700 people show up on the first time we put this on was very good,” said Reggie Dupre, director of the Terrebonne Levee and Conservation District, another father of the system. “That much participation was great. Most of these projects we do are in remote parts of the parish and it is not possible for the general public to see them. This gave people a good bird’s eye view. It’s like pieces of a puzzle coming together.”
Colonel Michael Clancy, commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers New Orleans District, was among the officials in attendance, and got to discuss with residents first-hand their concerns and fears.
“The chief regulatory official coming into Houma and seeing people involved is a big plus,” Dupre said. “It’s one thing for him to take to me or Gordy Dove or my staff members and have us tell him people are dedicated to their protection. But this gives him a much better idea of how much our people see this system as essential to their survival.”
Local dollars have funded much of the system, following repeated failures by the federal government to act on requests for aid made by one of the areas of Louisiana most vulnerable to flooding from storm surge. Continued federal indifference was visible when President Donald Trump left any funding for the program out of his tentative budget. The Corps is still important because of permit processes relating to construction and maintenance of flood control structures.
The levee system got a maiden run days before the event with the passing of Tropical Storm Cindy. Dupre and other officials were kept busy coordinating gate closures, which appeared to have gone off without a hitch.
One poignant moment came when Dove observed the closure of the gate named for his late son, Gordon “Bubba” Dove Jr. He has in the past discussed the deep emotions attached to a beloved child’s name associated with a structure whose job is to keep the people of Terrebonne Parish safe.
At the Coastal Day event Dove circulated among people in attendance, sharing his knowledge of the long birth process and current operation of the system.
Dove was heavily involved with obtaining state money for the project while he was a member of the House of Representatives and coastal protection has remained a chief priority since he took office as Parish President in 2016. •
