Roots, trees downed to aid water flow

The dredging of Little Bayou Black by the parish’s Engineering Division has resulted in the removal of numerous trees from the banks of the bayou between South Hollywood Road and St. Charles Street.

Engineers with the division did not know how many of the trees have been cut down.

“We have a hydrological model we try to achieve that contains a cross section,” said staff engineer Jeanne Bray. “For the flow of water, roots and trees and rootballs need to be removed. In most cases, it’s in a big drainage area. It’s a typical procedure.”

The bayou is being deepened from its present level at three-and-a-half to four feet to six feet. Dredging in the bayou stretches from Polk Street to its intersection with Ouiski Bayou.

The current work, Phase Two, will cost $2.1 million to complete and is being funded through the state Department of Transporta-tion and Development’s Statewide Flood Control Program.

Bray said the entire project is divided into eight phases, but the sections are not being finished in order.

Work on Phase Two began in November and is expected to be completed in July. New Roads-based Wilco Industrial Services, which has a dredging office in Harvey, is the contractor.

Workers with New Roads-based Wilco Industrial Services are dredging Little Bayou Black along Louisiana Highway 311. The project is in its second of eight phases. * Photo by KEYON K. JEFF