Phase 1 drainage projects explained

Plans for parish projects to improve storm water drainage, using the first $10 million of the $20 million bond proceeds approved for drainage improvements in December, have been finalized. Parish President Guy Cormier presented an overview at the June 20 St. Martin Parish Council meeting.
The first phase will focus on areas that experienced the most flooding in August. The work is mostly to be undertaken in areas West of the Bayou Teche, but will also include continuation of previously-planned work to improve flow in the silted Bayou Du Portage East of St. Martinvile and Portage-Guidry East of Breaux Bridge.
The Portage-Guidry Canal clearing work was in planning before the August flood, and the first phase of improvements to Bayou Du Portage involved dredging in Dautrive Lake. In 2015, the dredging of the North end of the lake was completed. Now, several miles of the Coulee Portage will be cleared. Dredging of the much-silted Catahoula Lake is on the phase 1 list as well.
The back-up of water into the Cypress Island, Lasalle and Cade areas will be addressed by cleaning and deepening Bayou Fuselier/Bayou Pont Boulé north of I-10 and, further South, the Cypress Bayou/Coulee Lasalle system and Cypress Island/Joe Daigre canals.
Cormier said much of the work on the smaller canals in those areas can be accomplished with parish equipment and personnel, but where larger equipment is needed, outside contractors will be used.
Cormier added that work on the Cypress Island/Joe Daigre and Cypress Bayou/Coulee Lasalle will continue through both phase 1 and 2 of the drainage project and work will be ongoing there for several years.
Governor John Bel Edwards commissioned a $10 million study of drainage issues throughout the state after the flood. Cormier said he will meet with Edwards in August, so possibly, some state funding will be brought to the effort.
The improvements that are actually needed, Cormier said, far exceed what can be accomplished for $20 million, but no amount will avoid flooding if rains reach the near 30-inch levels that brought the August 2016 flood.