NEW ORLEANS – Over 25 million cubic yards of borrow material is needed to build or increase the elevation of approximately 140 miles of earthen levees from the Old River Control Structure to Morgan City.
This work will reduce risks from the “project flood,” which is roughly 1.5 million cubic feet per second of water moving through the area.
The proposed work is located throughout Pointe Coupee, St. Landry, St. Martin, Iberville, Iberia, St. Mary and Assumption parishes and will be federally funded with Mississippi River & Tributaries funds.
Borrow material may be acquired from approved sources within the continental United States; however, borrow sites in close vicinity to the Atchafalaya River Basin are preferred.
“Earthen levee construction requires a specific type of clay material that compacts well and prevents seepage,” said Marti Lucore, senior project manager for the Atchafalaya Basin Project.
Before borrow material can be used for levee construction, the Corps will perform soil borings and tests, and acquire all pertinent environmental clearances. These investigations can take 6 - 9 months to complete and not all material available for investigation will be deemed suitable for use in levee construction.
Interested landowners should contact Thomas Parker, environmental resource specialist, at 504-862-2526.
Release no. 09-085