Resident says beaver dams, landowner refusals have left Coleman Lane property flooded for years

John Nash, a resident of 922 Coleman Lane, told the Avoyelles Parish Police Jury that his bridge has been underwater “six months at a time for the last two years,” leaving him unable to access his pecan orchard and forcing him to sell equipment.

Nash said crews previously cleared dams but the water returned quickly. “When they would bust a beaver dam, that water would drop 1 ft an hour,” he said, but after recent work the water only “went down 1 ft, and it stopped.” He showed photos and said the worst flooding was “right now.”

Officials at the meeting acknowledged the problem and described steps taken to inspect the bayou and coordinate with landowners. Road and drainage officials said they had walked the canal and met the neighboring landowner but were sometimes denied access. County staff said the bayou is a named lateral on parish maps and that legal access rules allow 100 feet from the top bank for maintenance when properly authorized.

The district attorney, Charles Riddle, was reported to have issued a court order allowing county crews to enter the property, but speakers said enforcement and landowner cooperation remained obstacles. Road Department personnel said heavy clearing to reach the blockage would require formal authority and, where landowners refused access, a court order may be necessary.

Jurors discussed bringing the matter back onto the agenda, asking the DA to put his authority in writing, and coordinating with neighboring landowners to permit work. Officials said they had repeatedly removed beaver dams across the parish but that dams are often rebuilt in days or weeks, and that access rights and safety constraints can limit what crews can do without formal legal documentation.

The jury asked staff to follow up with the DA and report back to the court on next steps; no formal vote was recorded at the meeting.