[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_25":26},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_27":28,"_29":30},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[31,75,87,99],{"_32":33,"_34":35,"_36":37,"_38":39,"_40":41,"_42":43,"_44":45,"_46":47,"_48":49,"_50":51,"_52":53,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":59,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":65,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6482642,"mediaKeyId","5608511-e0fbfbd63908e34c2f56ab31c5d74508","parentId",5608511,"title","Parishes describe pump‑station upgrades, marsh creation and local restoration priorities","audioSeconds",1522,"startMs",5922000,"endMs",7444000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5608511-e0fbfbd63908e34c2f56ab31c5d74508&start=5922&end=7444","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5608511-e0fbfbd63908e34c2f56ab31c5d74508/thumbnail_5922000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6482642/Louisiana/Parishes-describe-pumpstation-upgrades-marsh-creation-and-local-restoration-priorities","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6482642-8406761238fa5af35513c064dfd335a8/orig.mp4?Expires=1769941779&Signature=f5jtv4TPTZE3ix~w5~c0PUSlbRaQXMHUtHqRXx9ljSemp7XjHq9PQNFFT6bP7bdL8TBVRDzAJNI1v4NVOD7fHaTaitVaUNKTINsMm3K-IjC84DldfUIiC~dOHu0WTkm~Q8jBwIywme-GOwZQuv7-fGvuwMdgCIFRGyF0j3wxX0H9b8~u3YtwKpsF8rcylV6i9YJNd18HKpwFZ7g4r2O3H7a77fcLLmQ9mfuY2zqFygHRaqlYmVRJmH8n8edtFO-JQnlAoHleQ4jTn62Bz-TX3UTTn5yzdPgsEZdJRhvDf-qCsiBlEuzBQdI7Q7-e5IFkThbhG14BQAYQ95jAXDl6Dw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Louisiana - Boards & Comissions, Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Board","date","2025-08-20T20:58:22.787Z","article","Several local officials and parish staff addressed the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Board with project updates, priorities and requests for continued support.

Jefferson Parish officials described extensive investment in pump stations, drainage and floodplain management since Katrina. The parish said it manages nearly 1,500 miles of subsurface drainage, 194 pumps and 340 miles of drainage canals and ditches; it reported raising about 1,900 structures since 2006 through grants and partnerships and said it is moving from a community rating class that yields a 25% discount to a class that will yield a roughly 35% discount on flood insurance premiums.

Jefferson parish staff noted the parish is prioritizing nonstructural mitigation and neighborhood‑scale green stormwater projects, and said pump‑station upgrades and canal improvements have materially improved conveyance. They also said roughly 400 structures were pending FEMA grant approval for elevation projects.

Black Parish (speaker identified as Kimberly Buck, coastal and levee director) recounted Katrina damage and long‑term recovery, saying 21 pump stations suffered damage and two of three levee breaches were repaired with federal, state and local assistance. She outlined a three‑phase local restoration plan — coastal protection and marsh creation, wetland habitat improvements, and shoreline restoration of barrier islands — and thanked CPRA for program support on marsh creation and shoreline protection projects.

St. Charles Parish and other local officials raised priorities including river reconnection/diversions in upper basins to reduce saltwater intrusion, and local leaders urged federal and state partners to consider dredging, channel maintenance and water‑retention strategies as part of flood management.

Several speakers emphasized the need to design projects that reduce surge through land‑building (e.g., ridges and berms) and to secure federal funding and permits for large‑scale sediment handling and marsh creation efforts. One speaker noted past emergency permitting enabled rapid construction after oil‑spill risks, and suggested lessons from those episodes for future large projects.

Officials requested sustained coordination with CPRA on permitting, engineering and funding to move projects from design toward construction, and several suggested CPRA and local sponsors pursue combined strategies that pair structural investments with nonstructural measures such as elevating homes and neighborhood stormwater management.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","CPRA Board Meeting August 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Several parish and city officials briefed the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Board on local projects including pump‑station upgrades, marsh creation, shoreline protection and nonstructural mitigation.","taxTitle","Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Board, Boards & Commissions, Organizations, Executive, Louisiana","taxId",45335,"location","Louisiana","headline","","shortSummary",{"_32":76,"_34":35,"_36":37,"_38":77,"_40":78,"_42":79,"_44":80,"_46":81,"_48":82,"_50":83,"_52":84,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":85,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":86,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6482643,"Chandler Island survey finds record Kemp's ridley nesting; Shell grant funded work, CPRA says",191,1057000,1248000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5608511-e0fbfbd63908e34c2f56ab31c5d74508&start=1057&end=1248","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5608511-e0fbfbd63908e34c2f56ab31c5d74508/thumbnail_1057000.jpg","/articles/6482643/Louisiana/Chandler-Island-survey-finds-record-Kemps-ridley-nesting-Shell-grant-funded-work-CPRA-says","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6482643-4bb9029aaee3817ae309fd55d8527eb8/orig.mp4?Expires=1769941779&Signature=OWDmDvMWXMHzA3BFm4iEyUWmk-3u5PlDj04DW5jqJYt1t1zd379kJlGVZ7vc3qva5ewvVR~k1LQMXoQgyY0z-1K81-TO-b1aHi09zOFY8IilKxipA69t09t-geHt-~nkwbNneIWBUYnqpXwaS09yLW7RiJnCsDpkK5UlwUdiWVfOR3DVsA38BhyYpE3w7MtiTPw~DkeEs8dVtVhHGVR9qxEa4i~ceNB~UgmFVDvmQuXqiHBUPEhfDv2EvaUaBzyVgpRAo~M18GYIUaxFCijmQXp~MfaXVDCfIVkV0E4dYMRFh7gYohUv7RIDKRif~4gSd9rBf-LGdmSPqqgTt478FA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A CPRA staff presenter told the board that for the fourth consecutive year volunteers and partners conducted sea turtle nesting surveys on Chandler Island and observed an unusually successful season.

The staff member said the year's survey was funded in part by a $25,000 grant from Shell to the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Foundation and the Water Institute. Staff reported the survey team located about 151 Kemp's ridley nests and estimated more than 525 hatchlings; the presenter said 85% of nests found had hatched so far.

The CPRA presenter described the results as \"a historic win for the world's rarest and most endangered sea turtles,\" saying the success reflected work by state, federal and private partners to restore critical habitat. The presenter also noted that the nests observed likely represent only a portion of nesting activity on Chandler Island because many nests cannot be observed from survey access points.

The presenter encouraged submission of new project ideas to CPRA's six‑year planning process and reminded the public that new projects were being accepted through Oct. 17, 2025, with submission details available by QR code shown at the meeting.

Board members and staff framed the nesting success as both an ecological milestone and a demonstration of how coordinated restoration and monitoring can support threatened species while advancing coastal habitat recovery.

","CPRA staff reported an unprecedented Kemp's ridley sea turtle nesting season on Chandler Island, noting a $25,000 Shell grant to the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Foundation and the Water Institute supported surveys that located roughly 151 nests with an estimated 525 hatchlings.",{"_32":88,"_34":35,"_36":37,"_38":89,"_40":90,"_42":91,"_44":92,"_46":93,"_48":94,"_50":95,"_52":96,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":97,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":98,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6482648,"CPRA operations chief outlines levee inspection, technical assistance and monitoring systems",646,4713000,5359000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5608511-e0fbfbd63908e34c2f56ab31c5d74508&start=4713&end=5359","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5608511-e0fbfbd63908e34c2f56ab31c5d74508/thumbnail_4713000.jpg","/articles/6482648/Louisiana/CPRA-operations-chief-outlines-levee-inspection-technical-assistance-and-monitoring-systems","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6482648-ef2bc3a36f907faa6e3fec4046b21cc5/orig.mp4?Expires=1769941779&Signature=fywfn4Wz9PwqUTXbwdLxdLPwKA6KyYquEOqJKmJByzexlF-CsPw5C~FYeXcoR3R7Wi8wO6wm7aKoJ9LwTi9jd9LWhkhMnfNIx-fQL3dNjVSr1q-Gzr0FeVgGr2ZEVluOeyfptz8wpRqIoqfpQCms5ALU0gv0RaJC-G0VQINK5xhElQmlXd3Vqh1KCIGi~QQVs30YN5o8gwxfb4XPawSaZYunAQ2pFVpaOqhH04Ol4cTa-uXUhIbicINZIQQ1D90cvYFfeqOG349mDG8tZ3YzR7AT1jT7-GKZ5JV3uTK6zrpWDgANet-k0Th4t-6SaGtDhY-XJsmobfoXYEZdRFM94A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Brad Barth, operations division chief at the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, told the board that CPRA performs design oversight, construction monitoring, operations and maintenance (O&M) inspections, and post‑storm damage assessments for levee and restoration projects across the coast.

\"We also offer levee inspector certification,\" Barth said, pointing board members to the state's training portal and describing a regular inspection cycle that coordinates with federal criteria.

Barth summarized three inspection regimes referenced in the transcript: federal inspection criteria under 33 CFR 208.10, the Rehabilitation and Inspection Program (PL 84‑99), and a state statutory inspection framework (transcript referenced as Louisiana statute 49:214.6.3). He said CPRA works closely with local levee districts and parishes on quarterly inspections, site visits, periodic formal inspections and damage assessments; local sponsors often have daily eyes on their systems through routine maintenance programs.

Barth described operational support CPRA provides during storm events, including a coast‑wide network of roughly 400 monitoring stations that feed a coastal information management system and a hurricane gauge monitoring system. He said those tools allow analysts to run surge and scenario sensitivities and to advise on operational gate closures and other last‑minute decisions during an approaching storm.

Barth gave examples of recent technical assistance, citing a parish‑level quick response that restored operation to a gate at the Empire Waterway in advance of hurricane season. He also outlined CPRA's role issuing letters of no objection for construction near federally authorized projects and coordinating with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on Section 408/authorization reviews.

On restoration projects, Barth said CPRA conducts construction inspections and long‑term monitoring — many projects carry 20‑year monitoring and maintenance plans to evaluate performance of vegetation, elevation and project templates.

Board members asked about streamlining emergency access to CPRA systems for local levee districts; Barth and other staff said they are working to expand direct access so local operators can use webEOC and other CPRA situational tools during emergency response.

","CPRA operations division chief briefed the board on inspection protocols, technical assistance to local levee districts, monitoring networks and post‑storm damage assessments, and highlighted certification and training offered to local inspectors.",{"_32":100,"_34":35,"_36":37,"_38":101,"_40":102,"_42":103,"_44":104,"_46":105,"_48":106,"_50":107,"_52":108,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":109,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":110,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6482653,"USACE commander: Katrina prompted system overhaul, delivered a tested risk‑reduction program",819,1793000,2612000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5608511-e0fbfbd63908e34c2f56ab31c5d74508&start=1793&end=2612","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5608511-e0fbfbd63908e34c2f56ab31c5d74508/thumbnail_1793000.jpg","/articles/6482653/Louisiana/USACE-commander-Katrina-prompted-system-overhaul-delivered-a-tested-riskreduction-program","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6482653-98bddf6475aecac0b9576f2771ce192e/orig.mp4?Expires=1769941779&Signature=WwakaRqXTUOYKJq4xyIuHPO47WP52tbNARV5oO6CUz48a1cR6CdBHEsOuZET4~lQ~kChVGJv5VLjEqljXH0t0kYJRDuY2PThQIZbhC4D7ov-wOoeRQBKDzHEJifBt585q2Cy7GAtXFKlKX39-0xSFmVRTe0ydwr4xEBB4PkQdHUmEHFpU2uFzAYt5e1Nei7kt5~UUyCD6VpX0pkAcMeDW~V~UnS3sAlezBGiAdTO0EfuZKJF7Vcj7O1CqAFfyn-RKYRkLTZXzydOXYi9vWp9pIw7L6wmSFjCzJwwQAN~EE5g~u9OR4PcEREoj4pwfsMDvLaLV~ntGw5uGVcr25tgow__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Colonel, New Orleans District commander, told the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Board on Aug. 14 that Hurricane Katrina revealed critical design and funding weaknesses and sparked a new, engineering‑led approach to coastal protection.

He said the post‑Katrina effort moved away from incremental \"eye wall\" designs to a systemwide, modeled approach and larger structural elements such as deeper piles and taller T‑walls. \"We delivered the project on time, and it was tested in 02/2012, with Hurricane Isaac,\" he said, describing the program as a synchronized, fully funded delivery that included federal, state and local partners.

The commander framed the work as a shift from a ‘‘flood protection’’ mentality to a ‘‘risk reduction’’ approach that acknowledges residual risk and relies on coordinated decision‑making among federal, state and local stakeholders.

The presentation laid out three principal lessons: let engineering drive choices; pursue synchronized funding and schedules; and align federal, state and local partners around a shared end state. He described changes in modeling practices — from using category storm design assumptions to running tens of thousands of simulated storm tracks — and said that change enabled systemwide design that accounted for variability in surge, winds and geography.

He described specific engineering shifts, including replacing short sheet‑pile eye walls with substantially larger T‑walls set on deeper pilings and the addition of splash pads to reduce scour if overtopping occurs. He emphasized that the shift in engineering criteria was tied to a new federal authorization and funding stream that allowed delivery at scale.

Board members and local officials who followed the presentation pressed on how those lessons inform current planning, including whether procurement and environmental processes can be accelerated during emergencies. The commander said federal statutory and environmental requirements such as NEPA remain applicable but noted circumstances in which post‑construction mitigation and other approaches have been used to expedite delivery after major disasters.

He said the Corps relied on outside expertise — academia and international peers such as the Netherlands — and that the enterprise leveraged that expertise to improve model fidelity and design choices. \"We are a learning organization,\" he said, adding that public communication of residual risk was a continuing priority.

The commander also noted steps the district is taking to connect federally funded structural projects with non‑structural measures and community outreach, including partnerships to raise homes and other locally driven solutions. He urged continued alignment across agencies to sustain the multi‑decade program of work.

Board members thanked the commander for the briefing and discussed how the lessons apply to ongoing projects across the coast.

","The New Orleans District commander reviewed lessons from Hurricane Katrina, described engineering and funding changes that produced a systemwide hurricane and storm damage risk reduction program, and said the fully funded program was delivered and later tested by Hurricane Isaac.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Parishes describe pump‑station upgrades, marsh creation and local restoration priorities

Chandler Island survey finds record Kemp's ridley nesting; Shell grant funded work, CPRA says

CPRA operations chief outlines levee inspection, technical assistance and monitoring systems

USACE commander: Katrina prompted system overhaul, delivered a tested risk‑reduction program