NOLA District Breaks Ground On Morganza Levee Reach
The New Orleans Engineer District held a groundbreaking ceremony October 23 for Reach A of the Morganza to the Gulf Storm Risk Reduction System in southern Louisiana.
The Morganza to the Gulf Project, part of the Mississippi River and Tributaries system, is a 98-mile system of earthen levees, floodgates, water control structures, road and railroad gates and protection for existing pump stations in Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes. Major project features include two floodgates along the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW) and a lock complex on the Houma Navigation Canal (HNC) that includes a lock and adjacent floodgate.
“The importance of this project and the urgency to provide flood risk reduction cannot be overstated,” said Lt. Col. Nathaniel Weander, deputy commander of the New Orleans District. “Morganza to the Gulf will reduce the risk of flooding due to storm surge to more than 52,000 structures and over 200,000 people in the area. Deterioration of coastal marshes due to saltwater intrusion, land subsidence and the lack of interchanges from the Mississippi River and Tributaries system has steadily increased storm surge inundation over time.”
Non-federal sponsors for the project are the Terrebonne Levee and Conservation District and the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA). The Terrebonne Levee District, CPRA and the North and South Lafourche levee districts have together built more than 80 miles of levees to the federal standard along the footprint of Morganza to the Gulf in anticipation of the Corps federalizing the project. They did so after the project was authorized but prior to federal funding allocation.
In Reach A, though, in the vicinity of the city of Houma, La., no levee segments have been constructed.
“Today marks a significant step in protecting more than 200,000 residents in Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes from hurricanes and other major storms,” said CPRA chairman Gordon “Gordy” Dove, who is also former president of Terrebonne Parish. “The Reach A gap has long been a vulnerable point in the Morganza to the Gulf system, leaving Houma and nearby communities exposed to flooding, storm surge and rising sea levels. With this groundbreaking, we are one step closer to closing that gap and offering these communities greater protection and peace of mind.”
According to the New Orleans District, the Morganza to the Gulf team set out to advance the greatest amount of risk reduction within Reach A as soon as possible, while also minimizing impacts to wetland habitats and utilities in the area. While the full reach will be built over several contracts, the team expedited the design of Contract 1, which was awarded in July and will provide flood protection to communities along Bayou Dularge. As that contract is executed, the Corps will continue developing other design elements of the project. With speed at the forefront, the Corps achieved design and environmental clearance for Reach A two years early, the Corps stated.
Both local and state elected officials praised the groundbreaking and the advancement of the Morganza to the Gulf project.
“When a storm hits, we know flood mitigation efforts can save lives and also significantly limit potential damage,” said House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.). “Today’s groundbreaking signifies the next crucial step in providing a stronger flood protection system for the people of Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes. I’m glad to see continued progress on this monumental flood protection effort and will continue fighting to ensure the Morganza to the Gulf project receives all the resources needed for its completion.”
Rep. Garret Graves (R-La.) praised south Louisiana communities for stepping up to fund levee construction ahead of federal funding.
“I want to remind you—local folks didn’t wait for the federal government, and we didn’t either,” Graves said. “Dating back to 2008, while serving as the chair of CPRA, we worked with our parishes and levee districts to pull together hundreds of millions in state funding, in addition to the half a billion we set aside from the Deepwater Horizon settlement. Our early and persistent protection measures have saved the American taxpayer billions in disaster recovery costs, while at the same time providing a major service to our nation’s energy security.”
Terrebonne Parish President Jason Bergeron said recent storms highlight the importance of Morganza to the Gulf for his region.
“We are honored that Terrebonne Parish has been selected for the first federal levee construction for the Morganza to the Gulf of Mexico Hurricane and Storm Risk Reduction System,” Bergeron said. “Hurricane Francine highlighted the need for levee protection, and this project starts the process of shoring up our system and raising the levees up to the level we need them. We are continuously working to reduce the risk our residents face during weather events.”
When Morganza to the Gulf was first authorized in the Water Resources Development Act of 2007, the Corps estimated a cost of $15 billion for the 98-mile system. However, in November 2018, the Corps began taking into account work done by Terrebonne Parish and CPRA. The Corps’ “Adaptive Criteria Assessment Report” in 2019 took that state and local work into account, which resulted in lowering the federal government’s cost by two-thirds, according to Graves. That cost adjustment also improved the project’s benefit-cost ratio. According to Graves, Morganza to the Gulf has, thus far, received $78.3 million through congressionally directed spending, $376 million through emergency supplemental funding and $93 million in pending appropriations.
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Featured Photo Caption: Representatives from the New Orleans Engineer District, Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority and Terrebonne Levee and Conservation District break ground October 23 for the Morganza to the Gulf project. (Photos courtesy of the New Orleans Engineer District)
