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

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.