State coastal leaders say they are committed to making sure the Bayou Chene permanent floodgate gets built and is able to protect up to six parishes from flooding with the push of a button. Work to build the structure could start next year. The Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority of Louisiana held a board meeting Wednesday at the Morgan City Municipal Auditorium. St. Mary Levee District Executive Director Tim Matte discussed the district’s Bayou Chene Flood Control and Diversion Project to install a permanent 400-foot wide floodgate on the bayou in Amelia to protect the region from backwater flooding when ...