Bear refuge may block drainage

With recent flooding issues in the Garden Center and Franklin area, St. Mary Parish Councilman Dale Rogers says there may be an issue with drainage south of US 90.
Rogers told the parish council Wednesday that he met with local officials, recently and that “the water from the north side of US 90 can’t get to the south quick enough to get it out.”
Rogers added, “The biggest issue is that once the water gets past US 90 on the south side, the farmers are digging drainage canals and ditches to move the water south. When it hits the Bayou Teche National Refuge, the bear refuge, it stops. We have no right-of-ways, we have no permitting opportunities, as of now, to go in that area and create some ditches to get the water south. So they’re actually causing a big, big issue when we have a big rainfall and start seeing parts of Garden City and Franklin flooding. It’s because the water gets stopped at the bear refuge.” He said Chief Administrative Officer Henry “Bo” LaGrange will organize meetings with US Wildlife & Fisheries.
“We need to pay attention to that, and these land owners that are selling their properties to the state to create a bear refuge, that’s fine, that’s great, but they have to allow us right-of-ways or permit opportunities to have drainage facilities go in there and get the water south,” Rogers said.
LaGrange said the meeting will include drainage district, parish officials, DOTD and others “to discuss the cross drains on highway 90. The second meeting is with US Fish & Wildlife…to discuss what requirements to allow the drainage district or farmers north of the refuge to open up the ditches.”