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Officials outline levee lifts, T‑wall construction and regionwide coastal strategy after sediment-diversion cancellation
Summary
Speakers from Terrebonne and Lafourche Parishes described completed and planned levee work, a T‑wall under construction, coordination with the U.S. Army Corps and state agencies, and said funding freed by cancellation of a sediment-diversion project will be redirected to regional coastal protection projects.
Terrebonne and Lafourche Parish officials told residents they are coordinating levee and coastal-protection projects intended to raise flood defenses and address an area identified as especially vulnerable to land loss.
Lafourche Parish President Mitch Angron said work is underway on a T‑wall east of Grama Bayou and that "they actually have the first lift on that levee complete." He explained that pipeline placement forced a T‑wall design rather than building the levee on top of an existing pipeline. Parish leadership characterized the area between Lafourche and Terrebonne as one of the state’s most vulnerable zones and said they are seeking to raise levees in parts of the corridor to a 15‑foot target.
Terrebonne Parish officials said the cancellation of the Mid‑Bury (sediment-diversion) project freed funding that can be reallocated to land-building projects that, combined with levee work, would form a layered defense. "With that being canceled, there's a lot of funding that's gonna be put into some land bridal," the parish president said, describing an approach where land-building and levees together strengthen protection.
Officials said the corps of engineers and local levee districts are active partners. The parish president said his office is negotiating alternative project scopes with the Corps of Engineers to reduce cost; he gave an example of comparing an initial project estimate of $107 million to a negotiated $26 million build that would rely on local levee district coordination. He also noted a local appointee serving as colonel of the Corps of Engineers who officials said could help local advocacy.
Levee-related work will also affect other infrastructure decisions. A parish official told residents that planned flood walls under the Reach K and L projects are expected to reach 15 feet and that associated pipe and drainage work will be addressed when those walls are built.
Officials repeatedly emphasized that many coastal‑protection actions require coordination across districts, state agencies such as the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA), state wildlife and fisheries, and federal entities. They warned that certain interventions — especially dredging or major sediment projects — will need interagency agreements and funding arrangements before construction can begin.
Officials said they continue to seek state and federal capital outlay funds for pump stations, levee lifts and road/bridge protection and to work with neighboring parishes to prioritize projects by region.
