What is the West Bank and Vicinity Hurricane Protection Project?The West Bank and Vicinity Hurricane Protection Project has been under construction since 1991. The project contains approximately 67 miles of levees and floodwalls, including a sector-gate in the Harvey Canal. This federally funded, locally cost shared project, when complete, will provide hurricane flood protection for 250,000+ citizens living and working in the communities of west Jefferson Parish, Algiers in Orleans Parish, Belle Chasse, in Plaquemines Parish and St. Charles Parish up to the Davis Pond Fresh Water Diversion Project.
Why isn't the project completed?Prior to Katrina and Rita State funding for flood control projects had been minimal to non-existent. In the case of the west bank project it was only the strength of our local delegation that any appropriations were received. Even so, those appropriations were such that large projects, like the Harvey Canal Floodwalls were continually pushed back in favor of smaller less expensive features such as earthen levees.
The Federal Government had been reducing its support for flooding control and had been cutting funding. Most projects, even those authorized in 1965 were not completed. And, other projects like the west bank project had their completion schedules extended due a lack of Federal funding. Before Katrina and Rita the target date for the west bank project was 2018.
After Katrina and Rita, the federal government took notice of the flood protection system in the metropolitan area and appropriated sufficient funding to complete the West bank project and to raise the level of protection to meet a storm forecasts to occur at a 1% per year frequency. That work is ongoing with a completion date of 2011, approximately 7 years ahead of previous schedules.
Why didn't the project begin right after Hurricane Betsy, when other New Orleans area projects started?While most of the metropolitan New Orleans area had begun construction of their hurricane levees following Hurricane Betsy in 1965, West Jefferson went without because of disputes between environmentalists and big land developers. No one could decide where to put the levees. The developers wanted to enclose large undeveloped tracts of land for future growth of West Jefferson but the environmentalists wanted to limit the area of protection to save the wetland tracts and leave space for construction of the Jean Lafitte National Park. Regardless the reason, no levees were built and West Jefferson still remains exposed to hurricane flooding.
Why is a flood gate being constructed in the Harvey Canal?The original plan proposed by the Corps was to have floodwalls paralleling the Harvey Canal, on both the west and east banks. That plan was proposed in 1988 but was discarded in favor of the flood gate because of opposition from local interests concerned that the floodwalls would destroy the economic viability of the canal. The floodgate plan study was completed by 1992, but it took Congress four years to approve its construction.
Why is the flood gate located at Lapalco Boulevard,
rather than farther south in the canal?The floodgate was located as far south as possible without major interruption of the interior drainage system. When closed, no water can be pumped into the canal north of the flood gate as the canal would quickly overflow from the discharge of this rain water. The current operational plan for closing the flood gate requires that the Harvey Pumping Station at Patriot Street shut down. To accommodate this requirement additional pumping capacity is being constructed at the Cousins Pumping Station.
To achieve the 1% project elevation, plans are now being drafted to place a flood gate in the GIWW south of the Harvey and Algiers Canal. That project will require the construction of a 20,000 cfs (cubic feet per second) pump station, one of the largest in the country, designed to move rainwater from the protected side of the floodgate to the unprotected side of the floodgate.
Funding issues that prohibited the construction of this facility are no longer an issue as the congress has appropriated sufficient funding to construct the project.
Why wasn't the flood gate located south of the Hero Pumping Station and a new pumping station constructed to handle the rain water discharge?That plan was studied but, eliminated because of the size and cost of building an ancillary pumping station. Currently, eleven pumping stations discharge rain water into the Algiers and Harvey Canals. These stations have a combined capacity of approximately 23,000 cfs, which means that a pumping station of equal or greater capacity would have been required to accommodate the transfer of water from the restricted north side of the flood gate to the open water south side of the flood gate. This pumping station would have cost about $ 200 million (in 1996 dollars) and would be required to operate only when the flood gate was closed.
Why haven't the levees along the Harvey Canal been made better, stronger, and higher?Many decades ago the Jefferson/Plaquemines Drainage District was formed. One of its missions was to construct a levee along the east side of the Harvey Canal. As the district had little or no funding agreements were made with the adjacent landowners whereby they would construct and maintain the protection to avoid government intrusion into their work place. Unfortunately, the agreements required the elevation of the structures at only + 5.5-feet.
Prior to the creation of the West Jefferson Levee District (WJLD), in 1980, Jefferson Parish Government had the responsibility of working with the landowners to assure an adequate level of flood protection along the canal. In fact, around 1980 Jefferson Parish Government thoroughly researched its ability to force compliance with the earlier agreements and determined it could not mandate the businesses to make improvements.
Once the WJLD took this responsibility from Jefferson Parish Government, around 1983, it moved quickly to organize support for raising and improving the existing flood protection structures. Many businesses complied and took steps to make the needed changes, some by raising existing levees and others by constructing higher bulkheads and docks all sufficient to achieve the goal.
On several subsequent occasions the WJLD, all with landowner cooperation, has conducted surveys and worked to make improvements. But, because of the difficulty of negotiating a reasonable and workable alignment, using input from citizens, business groups, and elected representatives the current plan and location resulted. Now that enough money has been provided to complete the project we are now on a schedule to have all of the hurricane flood protection projects finished by 2011, about seven years ahead of the original target date of 2018.
How many members manage the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority—West?The Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority—West consists of a 7 member Board of Commissioners all appointed by the governor from slate of candidates formulated by a Nominating Committee whose members have been selected from university leaders, engineering societies and organizations and business group.
The nominating committee follows a strict criterion for its selection of candidates as set by the Louisiana legislature including their background, education, fields of endeavor and willingness to serve.
Members serve staggered terms with no one term exceeding four years. Members may apply for reappointment following completion of their term. No member may serve more than two terms.
Members are obligated to follow a strict Code of Ethics as set forth by the Louisiana legislature.
How do I apply for membership on the Authority?As member terms complete the Louisiana Secretary of State advertises in newspapers around the state seeking candidates to apply. Anyone interested in applying for membership may contact the Louisiana Secretary of State for an application.
