Sign Up. Stay Informed.
Location
This project addresses enhancements to a 48-mile ring levee encompassing a stretch of Bayou Lafourche and the surrounding area from the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway south to below Golden Meadow in Lafourche Parish, Louisiana. In addition to Golden Meadow, the communities of Larose, Cut Off, and Galliano are inside the levee’s protective perimeter.
Issue Addressed
Natural and man-made impacts such as sea level rise, subsidence, and canals cut through the marsh are degrading the wetland environment and turning it into open water. The loss of this protective marsh has greatly increased the risk for people and industry inside the ring levee, leaving them vulnerable to storm surge from the Gulf of Mexico.
Project Goals
The homes and livelihood of approximately 27,000 people are protected within the ring levee. The system also plays a critical part in the existence and function of Port Fourchon, one of the nation’s most vital ports for offshore and imported oil and gas.
-
- This aerial view looking south towards the Gulf of Mexico shows the great need for the protection provided by the ring levee. The degradation and loss of marsh habitat has left the area very vulnerable to storm surge.
-
- Authorized in 1965, construction did not begin until 1976. The ring levee was closed in 1996. The Hurricane Protection System, is a Corps of Engineers project with 30% of the cost borne by local taxes and state grants. The construction of the pump stations by the South Lafourche Levee District was funded by local taxes and state grants. The state, through CPRA, has provided over $28 million to increase the elevation of the system.
-
- The transformation of the Leon Theriot Floodgate into a lock will provide added protection for the community, as well as maintain navigation on Bayou Lafourche and provide a safe harbor for marine vessels seeking refuge during storms. This project was funded by local taxes and state grants.
-
- To provide hurricane level two protection, the levees have been built with a wide base (ranging from 150 to 400 feet wide). The project was originally constructed by the Corps of Engineers to an elevation of more than 13 feet above sea level on the south end and more than 9 feet above sea level on the north end. The South Lafourche Levee District, through funding from CPRA and capital outlay, has increased the elevation of the system to 16 feet above sea level on the south end and more than 13 feet above sea level on the north end.
Project Type:
Hurricane Protection
Project Information:
Project number: TE-65
Estimated Total Cost: $27.8 million
Land Benefited: 23 miles of levee improved