Program Overview

Borrow Material for Levees

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District is in the midst of an unprecedented search for clay material to rebuild and reinforce the Greater New Orleans Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction System (HSDRRS) in southeast Louisiana. The total borrow requirement to complete the construction of HSDRRS hurricane protection levees and floodwalls is 93 Million CY. This Web site was created to serve as a reference for all landowners interested in providing clay material for these projects.

Clay Specifications

The earthen clay material shall be naturally occurring or Contractor blended. Addition of lime, cement, or other soil amendments for any reason is not permitted. Soil that is classified in accordance with ASTM D2487 and the Unified Soil Classification System as CH and CL is suitable. Soil classified as ML shall be considered unsuitable; however, minor amounts of ML may be suitably blended with CH or CL to formulate a material that classifies as a CL as per ASTM D2487. Soil must be free from masses of organic matter, sticks, branches, roots, and other debris, including hazardous and regulated solid wastes. Soil from a Contractor-supplied earthen clay material source may not contain excessive amounts of wood, however isolated pieces of wood will not be considered objectionable in the embankment provided their length does not exceed 1 foot, their cross-sectional area is less than four (4) square inches, and they are distributed throughout the fill. Not more than 1% (by volume) of objectionable material shall be contained in clay material ordered by the Government. Pockets and/or zones of wood shall not be acceptable. Material consisting of greater than 35% sands (by dry weight) or materials with a Plasticity Index (PI) of less than 10 will not be accepted as well as material having an organic content exceeding 9% by weight. Under no circumstances shall frozen earth, snow, or ice in the material be considered acceptable.

Status of Borrow Investigations

Total Available Borrow for HSDRRS is approximately 229 M cy

Remaining System Borrow requirement for contracts to be awarded is approximately 53 M cy

Frequently Asked Questions


How much clay does the Corps need?

In order to complete the current slate of projects in the Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction System (HSDRRS), the Corps' borrow requirement is approximately 53 million cubic yards of clay material.

What is the price per cubic yard that the Corps pays for clay?

The Corps does not currently purchase clay by the cubic yard from individual landowners. In order to sell your clay by the cubic yard to be used on levee projects, you must be on the Contractor Furnished Clay Source List. Once on the Contractor Furnished Clay Source List, prospective levee construction contractors may contact you to arrange for the purchase of your clay material.

How do I get on the Contractor Furnished Clay Source List?

In order for you to be placed on the Contractor Furnished Clay Source List, you must submit, and get approval of, a complete Contractor Furnished package.

What is in a Contractor Furnished package?

A complete Contractor Furnished package includes (but is not limited to):
  1. a signed right-of-entry (ROE) form
  2. property description,
  3. a vicinity map showing where the property is relative to major bodies of water & levee alignment,
  4. a detailed map that shows the property boundary and studies done within the boundary,
  5. Corps-issued wetlands determination and 404 permit (if required),
  6. Coastal Zone Management (CZM) letter,
  7. Threatened & Endangered Species (T&E) letter,
  8. cultural resources investigation report,
  9. Environmental Site Assessment (ESA),
  10. soil boring analysis,
  11. agronomy report,
  12. and borrow area management plan.

For additional information regarding these items, please see our Contractor's Documentation Checklist.

How do I sell my clay directly to the Corps?

In order for you to deal directly with the Corps, you must have your land approved as a Government Furnished borrow site.

What do I need to do to be approved as a Government Furnished site?

To be approved as a Government Furnished site, you simply sign a right-of-entry (ROE) form and the Corps takes care of the rest. The ROE will simply allow the Corps access to your property in order to conduct soil testing, environmental testing, and site analyses. After testing is complete, if the land and soil is deemed suitable, the Corps will request a ROE for construction which will give the Corps the right to begin excavating clay from your property.

How much will I get paid for the dirt if my property is a Government Furnished site?

Landowners that have Government Furnished sites will be compensated on a per-acreage basis based upon current land values in the area that their property is in. The landowner will enter into negotiations with the Corps’ Real Estate Branch to determine what the fair market value of their land is. For additional information regarding the real estate process, please see our Real Estate Requirements.

How do I know if my property is approved?

For Contractor Furnished sites, you will receive an official letter from the Corps, along with a map that states your site has been approved for clay excavation to be used for levee building. The map will also clearly show the area of your property that has been cleared by the Corps.

For Government Furnished sites, you will have a member of the Borrow Team in constant contact with you throughout the investigative process in order to provide you updates on the status of your property. After all investigations have been completed the Borrow Team will inform you of the status of your property.

When will the Corps start digging on my property?

For Contractor Furnished sites, there is NO GUARANTEE that clay will ever be excavated from your property. If your site is approved, you will be placed on a Government Approved list along with other landowners. Individual levee building contractors may, or may not, contact you regarding your material.

For Government Furnished sites, once the land/material has been approved, the excavation process depends upon individual levee project award dates. As projects are advertised and/or awarded, the need for borrow material will arise, which will signal the impending start of the excavation process.

Status


Explanatory Notes and Summary Borrow Requirement Tables by Parish

The following tables summarize the status of the borrow source investigation and acquisition efforts by the Corps for upcoming construction contracts in each Parish. All borrow volumes are estimated at two times the embankment (compacted in-place) volumes determined from project design data to allow for compaction, material losses during transport, and wasting of unsuitable material from borrow sources.

Explanatory notes for the tables provide definitions of the categories and headings used in the summary tables.

Explanations for Parish Borrow Status Tables

GF = Government Furnished Borrow Method
CF = Contractor Furnished Borrow Method
SC = Supply Contract Borrow Method

GF Borrow Status “Acquired” applies to construction contracts where the borrow source will be provided using Government Furnished borrow sites where all investigations and clearances have been completed and the real estate for the borrow site has been acquired by the Corps and/or the project sponsors.

GF Borrow Status “Approved Not Acquired” applies to construction contracts where the borrow source will be provided using Government Furnished borrow sites where all investigations and clearances have been completed, but the real estate for the borrow site has not yet been acquired by the Corps and/or the project sponsors.

GF Borrow Status “Under Investigation” applies to construction contracts where the borrow source will be provided using Government Furnished borrow sites where the investigations and clearances are still being carried out by the Corps and/or the project sponsors.

CF Borrow Status “Approved” applies to construction contracts where the borrow source will be provided using Contractor Furnished borrow sites where all investigations and clearances have been completed and approved Contractor Furnished sources with sufficient capacity are located in the vicinity of the projects. 

Jefferson     Orleans        Plaquemines         St. Bernard          St. Charles

Note: Not all of the suitable Contractor Furnished borrow sources have been identified as sources for specific projects.

SC Borrow Status “Under Investigation” applies to construction contracts where the borrow source will be provided using supply contracts that are in the process of being evaluated and/or procured by the Corps.

Borrow Maps