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As St. Mary Parish officials begin to prepare for an anticipated 7.5-foot crest in the Atchafalaya River, there are no plans to block Bayou Chene in Amelia as has been done in the past to prevent backwater flooding in the region.

The Atchafalaya topped the 6-foot flood stage Thursday and was at 6.03 feet as of 6 a.m. Friday, according to the National Weather Service. The river is expected to be in the 6-foot to 6.1-foot range through Wednesday.

Morgan City officials planned to close floodgates Friday along the riverfront at Freret Street and Railroad Avenue. Berwick leaders were planning to close a floodgate at First Street. The decision for additional gate closures had not yet been made as of Thursday afternoon.

The St. Mary Levee District Commission also met Thursday at the parish courthouse.

The Atchafalaya River is projected to crest at 7.5 feet in Morgan City on March 24, Levee District Executive Director Tim Matte said. The river crested at 7.2 feet in 2017 and at 8.2 feet in 2016.

That crest shouldn’t cause any major problems for St. Mary Parish, and officials do not have any plans yet to install a temporary flood protection structure on Bayou Chene, Matte said.

The levee district installed a temporary barge on Bayou Chene in 2016 to block potential flood waters. Officials decided to block Bayou Chene that year, in part, due to a projected 9.5-foot crest with the potential opening of the Morganza Spillway.

That 2016 closure cost nearly $7 million, but the federal government reimbursed the levee district for 75 percent of that cost because of a federal emergency declaration.

Eventually, officials plan to install a permanent floodgate on Bayou Chene, but construction isn’t expected to begin on that project until April 2020.

On Thursday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers opened the Bonnet Carre Spillway to divert flood waters.

“There’s a limit to how much flow they can put through that structure,” Matte said. “If they get to the point where they’ve opened the entirety of the Bonnet Carre and they still have a need to flow more water, then that does put pressure on the Atchafalaya side.”

No decision has been made to open the Morganza Spillway, which hasn’t been opened since 2011.

Predictions for the water level at the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers in Cairo, Illinois, “indicate some relief coming,” Matte said. And then within the next four weeks the Atchafalaya region should begin to see relief in terms of dropping river levels, he said. Rainfall throughout the entire Ohio Valley typically contributes to Atchafalaya River levels, too.

With that anticipated crest, levee district officials have started preparing for the high water by identifying any vulnerable areas in the parish. Officials slightly raised a 200-foot long section of lower levees near Walnut Street Canal, Matte said. District leaders also took survey data in Amelia, but there shouldn’t be any big issues there based on the projected crest, he said.

St. Mary Levee District personnel recently met with officials in Terrebonne Parish to discuss concerns that Terrebonne leaders had about the river crest and whether to close Bayou Chene.

Workers have already raised many of the levees in the Morgan City area as part of a levee improvement project. Therefore, if the high water does cause any problems in Amelia, “flood fighting in Amelia might be a cheaper alternative and equally effective alternative for the St. Mary residents” instead of closing Bayou Chene, Matte said. Flood fighting could entail measures such as placing Hesco baskets filled with sand to protect certain areas from flooding.

In discussion with Terrebonne Parish officials, St. Mary Levee District officials expressed willingness to manage a temporary closure of Bayou Chene, if that closure was deemed necessary.

But funding to close Bayou Chene would have to come from Terrebonne and other parishes, Matte said. Terrebonne officials accepted that condition should they decide that closing Bayou Chene is in Terrebonne’s best interest and agreed to get other parishes on board to help fund any possible temporary Bayou Chene project, he said.

If such a closure takes place, the St. Mary Levee District and entities in surrounding parishes would first have to sign a cooperative endeavor agreement.

“We’ve told other parishes what we told Terrebonne Parish, that we’re not going to participate other than to be the facilitator,” St. Mary Levee District Commission President Bill Hidalgo said.

A significant area of Terrebonne Parish, including many homes and businesses, is affected when flood waters travel through Bayou Chene, Hidalgo said.

In other business, the commission

—Approved an agreement with Morgan City Harbor and Terminal District for the use of conference and training rooms.

—Approved a resolution to close and gate the levee haul road from Charenton Beach Road to Myette Point, except access to public boat launches.

—Approved an agreement with K/D/S Promix LLC pipeline company for levee repairs in the Berwick area.

—Approved purchase of a front end loader attachment to aid in levee maintenance and amended an agreement with St. Mary Parish government.

Morgan City High School’s Kennedy Hebert tossed a no-hitter, and the Lady Tigers cruised past Terrebonne, 15-0, in five innings on the road Thursday.
In five innings, Hebert fanned six. She narrowly missed a perfect game as Terrebonne got one runner on base via a Morgan City error.
Morgan City scored four runs in the second, three in the third, two in the fourth and six in the fifth. The game was called after five innings due to the 10-run mercy rule.
Morgan City collected nine hits, while Terrebonne committed 10 errors. Terrebonne pitching combined for three walks and one hit batter.
Offensively, Nia Lightfoot led Morgan City with a 2-for-4 performance with two doubles, three RBIs and two runs. Other top Morgan City offensive contributors were McKenzi Smith, 2-for-3 with a double, two RBIs and two runs; Matti Rivere, 1-for-3, a double, two RBIs, a stolen base and two runs; Gracie Verrett, 2-for-4, an RBI, a stolen base and three runs; Hebert, three RBIs; and Scottie Metrejean, 1-for-3 with an RBI.
Morgan City (6-3) won’t return to action until Wednesday when it travels to face Loreauville in a 5:30 p.m. contest. Loreauville was a 2A quarterfinalist a year ago.
Kaplan edges Berwick
The Berwick Lady Panthers fell at home to Kaplan, 6-5, in District 8-3A action Thursday.
No individual Berwick statistics were available.
Berwick (3-7 overall, 0-2 in district) will return to action this weekend in Central Catholic’s tournament in Amelia. Berwick will meet South Terrebonne at 4:45 p.m. Friday, and Saturday, the Lady Panthers will play West St. Mary at 1:30 p.m. and Centerville at 5 p.m.
Patterson
routs Abbeville
The Patterson Lumberjills routed Abbeville, 16-1, on the road Thursday in District 8-3A action.
No individual stats were available.
Tuesday, Patterson dropped its District 8-3A opener at home to defending Class 3A state champion North Vermilion, 10-0, while Monday, Patterson defeated Houma Christian on the road, 10-7.
No individual Patterson statistics were available for either game.
Patterson (5-5) will return to action this weekend when it participates in Central Catholic’s tournament. Patterson will meet Central Catholic at 3 p.m. Friday, and Saturday, the Lumberjills will face Houma Christian at 11:45 a.m. and South Terrebonne at 5 p.m.

Central Catholic was represented on the All-District 7-1A girls’ basketball first-team with one selection.
The Lady Eagles’ Yani Johnson, a sophomore, made the top squad. She averaged a double-double with 15.4 points per game and 12.2 rebounds per contest, along with 1.23 assists.
Central Catholic had one second-team selection, Jalaysia “Lay” Bertrand, and three honorable mention picks, Lexi Landry, Sydney Williams and Aaliyah Poole.
The Lady Eagles’ Taylor Picou was named to the district’s Defensive team.
Central Catholic had eight players earn Academic All-District honors: Landry, Picou, Caitlyn Picou, Rachel Rogers, Charlotte Callais, Rylie Theriot, Williams and Bertrand.
District champion and eventual state champion Lafayette Christian swept the individual honors as Megan Abrams, a University of Alabama signee, was named District MVP, and Errol Rogers is the district’s Coach of the Year.
Below is the complete all-district team:
First Team
—Megan Abrams, Lafayette Christian Academy, Sr. (18.1 points per game, 5 rebounds per game, 3 steals per game and 2 assists per game); Jay Demouchet, Vermilion Catholic, Jr., (12 points per game, 3 rebounds per game, 4 steals per game and 6 assists per contest); Ashari Terry, Gueydan, Sr., (12 points per game, 14 rebounds per game, 5 steals per game and 7 assists per game); Casey Fitzgerald, Hanson, Sr., (12.8 points per game, 1.8 rebounds per game, 1.6 steals per game and 1 assist per game); and Yani Johnson, Central Catholic, So., (15.4 points per game, 12.2 rebounds per game and 1.23 assists per contest).
MVP: Megan Abrams, Lafayette Christian Academy
Coach of the Year: Errol Rogers, Lafayette Christian Academy
Second Team
—Jalaysia Bertrand, Central Catholic; Erin Rogers, Lafayette Christian Academy; Autumn Chassion, Lafayette Christian Academy; Camryn Sensley, Highland Baptist; and Allyssa Young, Hanson.
Defensive Team
—Taylor Picou, Central Catholic; Kendra Petry, Gueydan; Allyssa Young, Hanson; Jasey Roy, Highland Baptist; Breyelle Porter, Lafayette Christian; and Ainsley Mallet, Vermilion Catholic.
Honorable Mention
—Central Catholic: Lexi Landry, Sydney Williams and Aaliyah Poole.
—Gueydan: Kendra Petry and Ryleigh Istre.
—Hanson: Carlie Pellerin, Sarah Daniel, Kaylee Broussard and Camille Baker.
—Highland Baptist: Jasey Roy.
—Lafayette Christian: Breyelle Porter, Ajayha Simpson, Sasha Rudd and Janae Duffy.
—Vermilion Catholic: Kelli Frith, Kylie White and Anne Catherine Gallet.
Academic All-District
—Central Catholic: Lexi Landry, Taylor Picou, Caitlyn Picou, Rachel Rogers, Charlotte Callais, Rylie Theriot, Sydney Williams and Jalaysia Bertrand.