October 15
October 15, 2007
Ruberta LaCoste
October 17, 2007
Lafourche Parish was awarded nearly $4 million to build a saltwater control structure near Larose at last Tuesday’s parish council meeting.
Louisiana Secretary of Natural Resources Scott Angelle presented a check to Lafourche Parish President Charlotte Randolph and members of the council to fund the barrier.
“We are well aware how important Lafourche Parish is to the economy of the entire state and we are glad we could be of assistance,” Angelle said.
The project will be built much like the one currently in operation in the Company Canal in Lockport. Once in place, the structure in Bayou Lafourche will prevent the flow and intrusion of saltwater northward from the Gulf of Mexico.
Although not a common occurrence, saltwater breaches from the Gulf of Mexico have occasionally made their way as far north as the Valentine area, once causing operations at Valentine Paper to shut down for several days until the salinity level in the bayou had receded.
The salinity infusion occurred several years ago. Since then, parish officials have been seeking funding to put a control structure in Bayou Lafourche after seeing how effective the one in the Lockport area has been.
“The [barrier] in Lockport has proven to be effective and we believe that the one placed in Bayou Lafourche in Larose will be just as effective,” Randolph said.
Much of the work on the project has been completed, she noted.
“We’re hoping it can be in place for next fall because October, November and December seem to be the worst times for saltwater intrusion,” she said.
Randolph said the three-month stretch is also when sugar mills are in the production and grinding mode and bayou water is used in greater quantities, hence the need for freshwater and the ability to block saltwater from moving north.
Louisiana Secretary of Natural Resources Scott Angelle (first row, third from left) presented Lafourche Parish with a check for nearly $4 million to build a saltwater control structure near Larose at last Tuesday’s parish council meeting. Also pictured are: (front row, from left) Department of Natural Resources representative Benny Roussell, Bayou Lafourche Freshwater District (BLFD) board member Alvin Hebert, Angelle, Parish President Charlotte Randolph and BLFD Director Archie Chiasson; (second row, from left) Councilmen Philip Gouaux, Michael Matherne, Daniel Lorraine, Tommy Lasseigne, Tyrone Williams, Lindel Toups, Michael Delatte and Mark Atzenhoffer. * Photo supplied by the LAFOURCHE PARISH GOVERNMENT
