Just in case: Sandbags available in lower St. Martin
The parish government is once again taking measures against the possibility of flooding in lower St. Martin.
Effective Tuesday, the parish government has set up two self-service sandbag locations providing bags and sand:
—The corner of Stephensville Road and La. 70 at Doiron’s Landing behind the car wash.
—La. 70 on the levee side across from the Belle River Volunteer Fire Department.
“Should the threat of high water intensify, St. Martin Parish Government will implement more comprehensive measures,” officials said in a Facebook post Tuesday. “The situation is being constantly monitored by public works and the Office of Homeland Security Emergency
Preparedness.”
At 4 p.m. Tuesday, the Atchafalaya at Morgan City was at 6.34 feet, down slightly from Monday night. The minor flood stage is 6.0 feet, and moderate flooding begins at 7 feet.
The river is expected to reach to reach 6.6 feet Saturday and then drop while staying above 6.0.
Also at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Lake Palourde was at 4.5 feet, or 0.5 feet above the “action” level. The flood stage is 5.0 feet.
The threat of high water came early this year. The Mississippi rose to near flood stage in January. High water in the Mississippi makes the dominoes start to fall.
The Atchafalaya system gets 30% percent of the water coming down the Mississippi at the Old River Control Structure, putting Morgan City and Berwick at risk when the Big Muddy’s flow rises rapidly. And when the Atchafalaya is high, smaller tributaries can’t drain properly, leading to flooding on Bayou Chene in lower St. Martin and Lake Palourde in Morgan City.
Stephensville and surrounding areas got a reminder last year, when homes were threatened by back-flooding from about Mardi Gras well into the summer. For the third time since 2011, officials decided to sink a barge in Bayou Chene to protect St. Mary, St. Martin and surrounding parishes.
Since last year’s record flooding, much has taken place on the flood fight front. That includes at least $121 million in flood control work that's either planned or underway in St. Mary, including an $80 million permanent flood gate on Bayou Chene to eliminate the need to sink a barge.
The St. Mary Levee District is accepting bids for the flood wall portion of that work.
The district may end up spending another $30 million for a wave-break and levee between Lake Palourde and Lakeside Subdivision. The district staff hopes to present a plan to Lakeside residents and come back to the district board by mid-April. No firm funding source has been identified.
That work is part of a levee improvement program in Morgan City on which St. Mary Consolidated Drainage District No. 2 has already spent $18 million-$22 million.
The Levee District broke ground last month on the $11 million Bayou Teche Flood Control Structure, which is designed to keep storm surge from running up the Charenton Canal and flooding the Franklin, Garden City and Centerville areas.
The district’s board voted last week to support the restoration of the old Rabbit Island Reef Chain between Marsh Island and the Burns Point area. Restoring the oyster reef, from which shell has been harvested for road work, would reduce storm surge in East Cote Blanche
Bay and allow waterways to drain more rapidly. Proponents hope the project will be included in the state Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority’s 2023 master plan.