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Assumption Parish approves surveys, equipment rentals and canal clearings as crews target localized flooding
Summary
The Assumption Parish Police Jury approved a series of drainage assessments and short-term contracts — including a $10,000 survey, elevation shots and rental of dump trucks — and discussed snagging and debris removal on multiple canals as staff work to reduce recurrent neighborhood flooding.
The Assumption Parish Police Jury on Jan. 22 approved several near-term drainage actions intended to address flooding in multiple wards, including an engineering survey near Highway 398 and equipment rentals to finish a South Loop canal sweep.
The jury voted to authorize a survey and assessment by GIS Engineering of drainage conditions near Highway 398 for up to $10,000, to be paid from Ward 2 drainage funds. The jury also approved elevation shots in the Locust Road Canal and a separate outfall-ditch sweeping project near 2799 Highway 1010, a roughly 7,500-foot outfall ditch that staff said is causing backflow into nearby neighborhoods.
Why it matters: parish staff and jurors said the measures are intended to reduce repeated street and yard flooding reported by residents in multiple neighborhoods, including those along Broody Road and areas down-gradient of Highway 398.
The jury also approved renting three dump trucks to assist the contractor working on South Loop Canal project 92560 so crews could finish clearing and hauling material within 72 hours. Officials discussed shifting remaining labor and materials within existing project budgets to cover the truck rental costs.
Parish staff and jurors described ongoing work to clear the Labrador Drainage Canal and the Canefield portion of the Labrador system. Staff said sections are “stagged up with trees” and that debris and fallen trees are contributing to navigation and drainage problems; they described a plan to place the maintenance work on a future standing annual bid for tree and debris removal so crews can call out contractors as needed across the parish.
Several motions related to these items passed on voice votes. Jurors emphasized that right-of-way, private property access and coordination with landowners remain tasks staff must complete before contractors can mobilize. Parish staff also said they are preparing an annual 30-day bid for large-diameter culverts and standing tree/vegetation removal rates to speed responses to clogged canals and outfalls.
A number of smaller, targeted drainage repairs were approved, including catch-basin riser installations on Paul Street in Ward 9 and two sanitary-cover replacements in Ward 9 at 145 Agnes Street and 142 Teddy Street. Jurors were told the catch-basin risers are mostly a labor-and-jig operation to raise the inlet by several inches.
Staff said the parish will return with results from the GIS engineering survey and elevation shots to guide any follow-up construction or larger capital projects.
What’s next: staff will proceed with the GIS survey and elevation shots, issue the previously discussed truck rentals, and return with findings and cost estimates so the jury can decide on larger construction or right‑of‑way actions.
