District seeks Section 203 feasibility study with CPRA support; state budget includes $1.6M for SCADA

District leaders told the board on June 1 they plan to pursue a Section 203 feasibility study to speed federal project authorization instead of waiting for a Corps-led feasibility study. Executive Director Nick said the district has reached out to the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) to serve as co-non-federal sponsor and expected a draft intergovernmental agreement for board review in July. CPRA has indicated it is budgeting $2 million in state funds to cover part of the study’s cost; the district would be responsible for costs that exceed that allocation.

Nick also briefed the board on the state legislative session. House Bill 2 includes $1.6 million in general fund appropriation to begin implementing a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system for the district’s pump stations. Nick said the funds are cash from the state general fund rather than capital outlay, and staff will begin implementing SCADA once the funds are available. He said the system will add remote monitoring and control capabilities plus gauges and climate stations at pump stations and flood gates.

Nick highlighted other legislative outcomes affecting the district: HB615 (requiring live broadcasts of public meetings) did not pass; HB1049, which would impose certain open-meetings training requirements for presidents of state boards and commissions, passed both chambers and remains subject to the governor’s decision; and Senate Bill 171 would create a northern counterpart to CPRA (discussed by members as a potential benefit to northern levee districts). Nick reviewed CPRA’s annual-plan project allocations benefiting South Lafourche, including Bayou L'Ourse Ridge restoration ($1.35M for engineering/design), Eastern Terrebonne Land Bridge planning ($5M), Northwest Little Lake marsh creation (~$50M), West Lafourche marsh creation ($25M), Port Fourchon marsh creation ($32M), A East levee improvements ($7M) and other allocations noted in the annual plan.

District staff said they are working on a letter of intent to the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works to notify the Corps of the district's approach and to leverage existing hydrologic and risk-assessment work to reduce study costs. The board did not take a final contractual vote on the Section 203 study at this meeting but directed staff to return with a draft agreement for CPRA and a proposed contract approach.