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News from the Morganza Action Coalition
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CLOSING THE GAP
Latest Morganza Levee Reach Provides Terrebonne Residents with 31 Miles of Continuous Protection
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A major milestone in the construction of the Morganza to the Gulf Hurricane Protection System was reached in early June as workers closed "the gap" between two levee segments, providing about 31 miles of continuous levee protection from Falgout Canal Road to Pointe-aux-Chenes. It's the highest level of storm protection to date for Terrebonne Parish and puts us one step closer to Levee Director Reggie Dupre's goal of 35 miles of levees by the start of the 2017 hurricane season.
Contractors finished laying the foundation for Reach G2-B (see map below) on June 12, a stretch of levee 9,000 feet long built in open water from Bayou Sale Road to Four Point Road near Cocodrie and Dulac. The work will continue through the summer as the levee is built up to its designed height of 13 feet and then armored to prevent erosion.
Before next year's hurricane season, Reach E - a five-mile section of levee at the western end of Morgana along Falgout Canal - is also expected to be complete. This will give us at least 36 miles of levees along the Morganza alignment - all built with only local and state funding.
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MAC Advocates for Revenue Sharing and Permitting Fixes on Capitol Hill
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MAC representatives traveled to our nation's capital in June to speak to Congressional leaders and agency staff about federal policy issues that could greatly impact our community's ability to protect ourselves from storms and floods.
Top issues of concern were GOMESA funding, permitting process delays and mitigation requirements of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, servitude requirements for mitigation projects, and the ability of a community to use non-federal funds to build levees higher than originally authorized. All of these issues may be included in the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) bill now being considered.
GOMESA funding is a particularly timely concern, as the Administration has hinted at pulling back on the federal commitment to share federal revenue from Gulf of Mexico oil and gas production with adjacent coastal states.
MAC believes that the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006 was historic legislation aimed to increase equity by sharing offshore revenues and providing the State of Louisiana critical funding for coastal restoration and protection projects like Morganza. In addition to supporting lifting the current cap within GOMESA, MAC also supports all efforts to ensure the State of Louisiana receives an equitable portion of offshore revenue sharing.
We will continue to make our voices heard on Capitol Hill to protect our communities and our way of life!
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Morganza Restores Wetlands - The Proof Is in the Picture
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Ecosystem sustainability has long been touted as a benefit of the Morganza to the Gulf Hurricane Protection System, and now we have proof of this valuable impact.
With the substantial investment in building the comprehensive Morganza levee system, the wetlands inside the levees have been improving. Recently, it appears the wetlands in the northern parts of the Lake Boudreaux Basin are getting fresher as the new Morganza levees and structures in that area are stopping the inundation of salt water within Louisiana's vanishing wetlands and allowing a building of the wetlands inside the system.
This is a success story for Morganza and for all of coastal Louisiana.
The photos below demonstrate the importance of adaptive management, the role of levees in restoring wetlands, and the need for a collaborative effort to reverse decades of coastal land loss.
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Marsh around the northern end of Lake Boudreaux in 2007, before Morganza structures were built.
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Photo of same Lake Boudreaux marsh in 2016, after construction of Morganza levee and structures.
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Terrebonne Levee Officials Talk Morganza
on HTV's "Going Public"
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Terrebonne Levee and Conservation District (TLCD) Chairman Tony Alford, Executive Director Reggie Dupre and new members of the TLCD Board of Commissioners were guests on the HTV talk show program "Going Public" on Tuesday, June 28.
In the first segment, Alford, Dupre, and new commissioner and MAC Board member Danny Walker gave updates on recent Morganza achievements, including the Bubba Dove Floodgate becoming operational, the completion of levee reach G2 that closes the gap near Dulac and Cocodrie, and plans to complete Reach E near Dularge before the 2017 hurricane season. They also talked about funding and construction plans for the Falgout Canal Floodgate, and Walker shared his experience as MAC President and as a new appointee to the TLCD Board.
In the second segment, new TLCD commissioners Walker, Troy Johnson, and Tenner Cenac shared their thoughts on the role of the levee district in providing storm protection to our region.
The June 28 "Going Public" segments with TLCD officials can be viewed here.
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Founded in 2006 by a group of Terrebonne Parish residents and business owners, the
Morganza Action Coalition (MAC) is a 501(c)4 organization solely focused on advocating for authorization and construction of the Morganza-to-the-Gulf Hurricane Protection System. VISIT OUR WEBSITE: www.Morganza.org
MAC relies on financial contributions from local businesses and individuals to
support these advocacy efforts in Washington, D.C. and in Baton Rouge, as well as to fund outreach and communication activities to gain public support for the Morganza project.
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