NAME OF APPLICANT: St. Mary Levee District, c/o: T. Baker Smith, LLC, Attn: Kodi Babin, P.O. Box 2266, Houma, Louisiana 70361
LOCATION OF WORK: Located on and near Bayou Chene at Amelia, Louisiana, in St. Mary Parish (POB: 29.68279, -91.17206; POE: 29.60593, -91.08512), as shown within the attached drawings. (Hydrologic Unit Code 08090302, Terrebonne Watershed)
CHARACTER OF WORK:
ORIGINAL (Public Notice publish date: July 29, 2013): Proposed Bayou Chene Flood Protection Project which will include the elevation of approx. 33,634’ of Avoca Road on Avoca Island (i.e., Avoca Road Levee) to approx.. 8.5’ elevation, approximately 9,822’ of the Avoca Borrow Canal Levee to approx. 8’elevation, approx. 966’ of the Bayou Chene East Levee to approx. 9.5’ elevation and approx. 6,091’ of the Tabor Canal Levee to approx.. 9.5’ elevation. A flood control structure will be installed at elevation 10.0’ in Bayou Chene consisting of a barge gate at the center of the bayou with fixed flood walls extending outward to the bayou banks on either side. A weir structure will be installed in Tabor Canal consisting of steel gates. These structures will minimize high water induced flooding in St. Mary, Terrebonne, St. Martin, Assumption and Iberville Parishes due to high river stages in the Atchafalaya River. During normal Bayou Chene water levels the gate will be open to allow maritime traffic and water to pass through the opening. At the threat of impending high water events the barge gate will be deballasted to a floating condition, winched or placed by tug into position across Bayou Chene and ballasted into closed position against the receiving structure. Also, an existing weir structure will be removed and replaced on the Borrow Canal Levee, the existing temporary flood control structures used during the 2011 emergency closure will be removed from Bayou Chene and two existing pipelines within Tabor Canal will be crossed with reinforcement installed for pipeline protection. Approx. 470,810 cu. yds. of native material will be excavated from a proposed borrow pit and used for construction activities. An additional 47,798 cu. yds. of native material will be displaced during project activities. Approx. 17,091 cu. yds. of crushed stone/gravel and 19,601 cu. yds. of rock material will be required for project activities. A total of approx. 212.98 acres may be impacted as a result of this proposed activity (approx. 32.40 acres of wetlands and approx. 180.68 acres of non-wetlands/waterbottoms).
MODIFIED (dated 12/21/17): Levee tie-in to USACE Bayou Boeuf Lock was removed. Levee cross section for Avoca Road was revised to stay within existing right-of-way. Proposed borrow area on Avoca, Inc. property was removed. Proposed barge gate opening width was changed from a minimum of 250’ to 400’ (clear opening). Total excavation reduced from +/- 518,608 CY (+/- 93 acres) to 150,764 CY (+/- 26.85 acres). Total fill reduced from +/- 555,300 CY (+/- 93 acres) to 259,021 CY (+/- 48.13 acres). Wetland impacts below the 5’ contour reduced from 18.69 acres to 16.14 acres. Total wetland impacts reduced from 24.73 acres to 21.79 acres.
If a Department of the Army permit is warranted, the applicant has proposed to mitigate any unavoidable wetlands impacts at an approved and acceptable mitigation bank within the N.O. District.