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Councilors press levee district and outfall canal concerns; parish cautions against reversing pumps
Summary
Councilmembers raised long-running complaints about levee maintenance and outfall canal water levels on Oct. 28. Parish President said reversing pumps to force water into canals can damage equipment and create liability and health concerns, and offered to contact constituents to explain constraints.
Several councilmembers used the Oct. 28 Lafourche Parish Council meeting to press long-standing concerns about levee maintenance, culvert operation and outfall canal water levels that they say are affecting neighborhoods and agricultural users.
Councilman Pierce described a levee on the St. Louis Canal near Bayou Blue that he said has been poorly maintained—tall grass, blocked flow and a missing culvert gate that has prevented proper drainage and caused vegetation problems. "It's causing water lilies to be in that canal constantly because the water is jammed up right there," Pierce said, and he asked administration to dig into the issue and pursue corrective action with the levee district.
Separately, a constituent inquiry about reversing pump direction during drought conditions prompted discussion. Parish President Mitch O'Shaughnessy said the parish’s position has not changed: running pumps in reverse can damage pumps and create potential liability and animal health risks. "Running the pumps in reverse is not a healthy thing. We cause damage to our pumps and then of course whether or not the water that will be put in those canals ... is of any health for those animals is another issue that we certainly don't want, liability for," he said. He offered to contact the constituent directly to explain the constraints.
Why it matters: levee and drainage management directly affect local property, agriculture and flood risk. Councilmembers urged the administration to press levee district partners for maintenance and repairs and to clarify responsibilities and any required parish actions.
Next steps Council members asked staff to follow up with the levee district, verify culvert/gate status and report back. The council did not take formal action at this meeting but flagged the issue for further administrative follow-up.
