NAME OF APPLICANT: Bayou Lafourche Fresh Water District, c/o Delta Coast Consultants, LLC, 4924 Highway 311, Houma, Louisiana 70360.
LOCATION OF WORK: Within the Mississippi River Basin, in the Lower Mississippi River – Baton Rouge hydrologic unit (HUC 08070100), and within the Barataria Basin, in the East-Central Louisiana Hydrologic Unit (HUC 08090301); in the Mississippi River, right descending bank, mile 175.5, and in Bayou Lafourche, approximately 1 mile east of the Mississippi River, in Donaldsonville, Louisiana, in Ascension Parish.
CHARACTER OF WORK: The applicant has requested authorization to clear, grade, excavate, and fill an area to allow for construction of a new 1,000 cfs (expandable to 1,500 cfs) pump station in the Mississippi River to re-introduce freshwater into Bayou Lafourche. The pump station will increase the supply of fresh water entering Bayou Lafourche to benefit coastal marshes, minimize salt water intrusion in the Bayou’s historical flow area, and provided water supply to communities along Bayou Lafourche.
The proposed pump station will consist of a pile supported, concrete structure with six 84-inch steel intake pipes in the Mississippi River and six 72-inch steel discharge pipes extending from the pump station into Bayou Lafourche. A temporary access road will be installed in the batture to allow for construction. Permanent access ramps will be installed on either side of the pump station to allow for access to the pump station and levee. Approximately 1 mile downstream of the pump station, Bayou Lafourche will be widened to create a sediment trap that will be dredged regularly. The dredged material will be transported to the Mississippi River via transport pipe. Project implementation will result in the following: 1.2 acres of impacts to non-vegetated water bottoms in the Mississippi River, 1.9 acres of temporary impacts to batture wetlands, 0.86 acres of permanent impacts to batture wetlands, 5.4 acres of impacts to non-vegetated waterbottoms of Bayou Lafourche, and 0.7 acre of permanent impacts to fringe wetlands along Bayou Lafourche.
Off-site alternatives are limited because the pump station must be proximal to both the Mississippi River. The applicant has avoided wetlands to the maximum extent practicable. Best Management Practices will be implemented during construction to minimize impacts to adjacent wetlands and waterways. As compensation for unavoidable wetland impacts the applicant proposes to purchase wetland credits from a Corps approved mitigation bank located in the watershed.
The comment period for the Department of the Army Permit and the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality WQC will close 30 days from the date of this joint public notice. Written comments, including suggestions for modifications or objections to the proposed work, stating reasons thereof, are being solicited from anyone having interest in this permit and/or this WQC request and must be mailed so as to be received before or by the last day of the comment period. Letters concerning the Corps of Engineers permit application must reference the applicant's name and the Permit Application Number, and be mailed to the Corps of Engineers at the address above, ATTENTION: REGULATORY BRANCH Letters concerning the Water Quality Certification must reference the applicant's name and the WQC Application number and be mailed to the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality at the address above. The application for this proposed project is on file with the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality and may be examined weekdays between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Copies may be obtained upon payment of costs of reproduction.