Levee board extends flood emergency declaration

High water isn’t leaving St. Mary Parish anytime soon, and the parish levee board recognized that when it extended a state of emergency that’s been in effect for more than two months.

The St. Mary Levee District Commission held a special meeting Thursday to discuss flood-related matters and temporary closure of Bayou Chene. Officials deemed that closure necessary with the anticipated June 6 opening of the Morganza Spillway, which will alleviate some flooding along the Mississippi River but send more water to the Atchafalaya Basin.

During the meeting, the commission extended the state of emergency resolution that has been in effect since March 14 to continue to authorize Commission President Bill Hidalgo to take necessary action during the flood fight.

The Atchafalaya River is projected to crest June 21 near 10 feet. But the river could stay around 10 feet for about a week after the crest, and high water should still be here well into July, Levee District Executive Director Tim Matte said. Flood stage is 6 feet.

Almost a week ago, officials made the decision to install a temporary barge in Bayou Chene in Amelia to prevent more backwater flooding after the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority committed to reimbursing the levee district up to $7 million for the project. The levee board ratified an agreement with CPRA for that funding commitment.

Multiple contractors and entities are working on the project, but McDonough Marine Service of Metairie is in charge of installation.

Authorities still expect the Bayou Chene closure to be complete June 5 when placement of rock provided by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers finishes the closure.

The Bayou Chene closure project is much more than just sinking the barge. It also includes placing limestone on nearby Avoca Island and work on Tabor Canal in Terrebonne Parish to prevent flood waters from bypassing Bayou Chene.

President Donald Trump has declared Louisiana’s flooding a federal disaster, which local officials hope will provide extra funds if the project exceeds $7 million or pay for costs associated with flooding, such as dredging.

Coast Guard authorities are enforcing a 2,000-foot buffer zone around the Bayou Chene construction site and will also closely monitor the site after the bayou is closed, said Cmdr. Heather Mattern, commanding officer for Marine Safety Unit Morgan City. No drones are allowed in the area of the Bayou Chene closure.

Accumulation of sediment due to the high water has also caused a spike in vessel groundings in the Morgan City area, Mattern said.

Levee district officials stressed the importance of the public’s cooperation to keep unnecessary pedestrian traffic and all vehicles away from levees in the area to not cause any damage to the levee system that’s already under pressure due to high water.

Officials are especially concerned with people staying off the road adjacent to levees from Charenton Beach Road to Myette Point.

Commissioners approved action to retain law enforcement agencies, including the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office, to provide additional patrols and ensure people aren’t damaging levees. Sheriff Blaise Smith said deputies have already started increased patrols the vicinity of the levees.

Though officials have been dealing with various issues relating to the high water for a few months, flood fight efforts greatly intensified on the afternoon of May 22.

That’s when the Corps of Engineers announced its intension to open the Morganza Spillway to alleviate flooding along the Mississippi. However, that meant more water would be diverted to the Atchafalaya Basin through the spillway.

On the morning of May 22, Matte explained to officials with the CPRA why the levee district wasn’t going to close Bayou Chene.

“You go from that conversation in the morning to, ‘We’re going to have to open Morganza,’ in the afternoon. That’s how quickly things have changed,” Matte said.

Initial projections estimated 60,000 cubic feet per second of flow would be released through Morganza, but that number changed to 150,000 cubic feet per second. That flow rate is still subject to change, Matte said.

The Corps plans to gradually increase the flow over multiple days before reaching the full flow rate.

On Thursday, the flow on the Atchafalaya River in Morgan City was about 310,000 cubic feet per second. In 2011, the Atchafalaya flow reached 500,000 cubic feet per second of flow, Hidalgo said. Officials expect the Atchafalaya flow to reach or nearly reach the 2011 maximum flow, he said. The river crested at 10.35 feet that year.