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Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction System, Lake Pontchartrain and Vicinity - St. Bernard Parish |
Official Project Name
Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction System, Lake Pontchartrain and Vicinity - St. Bernard Parish
Location
St. Bernard Parish is located in southeastern Louisiana, east of and adjacent to the city of New Orleans. Approximately two-thirds of the parish is surrounded by water and consists primarily of marshlands formed by the Mississippi River Delta. The area of the parish along the western portion on the northern shore (east bank) of the Mississippi River has the highest elevation and heaviest population. Eastern portions of St. Bernard Parish consist of largely fresh, brackish, and saline marshes. Remnants of natural topographic ridges can be found along the existing or abandoned courses of river distributaries, or bayous. Other ridges, or Cheniers, are found along abandoned coastlines in isolated areas of the marshes. Barrier islands and beaches, in particular the Chandelier and Breton Islands, can be found at the edge of the Old St. Bernard delta.
Purpose
The project is designed to reduce the risk of flooding caused by a storm surge that has a 1% chance of occurring each year.
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Status
The St. Bernard Parish HSDRRS has been broken into several smaller reaches and are referred to as Lake Pontchartrain and Vicinity (LPV) 144 through LPV 149. The various reaches are as follows:
- LPV 144 – Bayou Dupre Floodgate - This project currently defends against a storm surge that has a 1 percent chance of occurring in any given year, or a 100-year storm surge. The permanent 100-year level of risk reduction was attained on May 16, 2011. This project is scheduled to be completed in summer 2012.
- LPV 145 – Bayou Bienvenue to Bayou Dupre - This project currently defends against a storm surge that has a 1 percent chance of occurring in any given year, or a 100-year storm surge. The permanent 100-year level of risk reduction was attained on March 18, 2011. This project is scheduled to be completed in spring 2012.
- LPV 146 – Bayou Dupre to Highway 46 - This project currently defends against a storm surge that has a 1 percent chance of occurring in any given year, or a 100-year storm surge. The permanent 100-year level of risk reduction was attained on April 19, 2011. This project is scheduled to be completed in winter 2012.
- LPV 147 – Highway 46 Floodgate Construction - This project currently defends against a storm surge that has a 1 percent chance of occurring in any given year, or a 100-year storm surge. The permanent 100-year level of risk reduction was attained on March 29, 2011. This project is scheduled to be completed in winter 2012.
- LPV 148.02 – Verret to Caernarvon - This project currently defends against a storm surge that has a 1 percent chance of occurring in any given year, or a 100-year storm surge. The permanent 100-year level of risk reduction was attained on May 27, 2011. This project is scheduled to be completed in summer 2012.
- LPV 149 – Caernarvon Floodwall and Sector Gate - This project currently defends against a storm surge that has a 1 percent chance of occurring in any given year, or a 100-year storm surge. The permanent 100-year level of risk reduction was attained on May 20, 2011. This project is scheduled to be completed in summer 2012.
Benefit to the Community & Project Features
The risk reduction system in St. Bernard Parish, often referred to as the Chalmette Loop or St. Bernard System, consists of approximately 23 miles of floodwall, from Bayou Bienvenue's intersection with the MR-GO in the northeast to the Caernarvon Canal's confluence with the Mississippi River near the Plaquemines Parish line. In addition, work consists of constructing sector gates at Bayou Dupre and Caernarvon and a vehicular floodgate at Highway 46 in Verret.
These floodwalls and gates will reduce risk to residents and businesses of St. Bernard Parish from a storm that has a 1 percent chance of occurring in any given year.
Authority
The Lake Pontchartrain, LA, and Vicinity Hurricane Protection Project (LP&V-HPP) was authorized by the Flood Control Act of 1965 and the Water Resources Development Acts of 1974, 1986, 1990, and 1992.
The HSDRRS includes five parishes and consists of 350 miles of levees and floodwalls; 73 non-Federal pumping stations; 3 canal closure structures with pumps; and 4 gated outlets. Following Hurricane Katrina, Congress fully authorized and funded the Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction System (HSDRRS) for southeast Louisiana.
Scope
The recommended proposed action for each reach is indicated below:
- LPV 144: Bayou Dupre Floodgate Replacement – construct a new Bayou Dupre floodgate on the flood side of the existing structure.
- LPV 145: Bayou Bienvenue to Bayou Dupre – construct a new T-wall on the existing levee
- LPV 146: Bayou Dupre to Hwy 46 near Verret, La - construct a new T-wall on the existing levee; construct an emergency bypass ramp
- LPV 147: Hwy 46 and Bayou Road floodgate – construct floodgates with T-wall tie-ins across Highway 46
- LPV 148.02: Verret to Caernarvon – construct a new T-wall on the existing levee;
- LPV 149: Caernarvon Floodwall – Construct a new T-wall along an offset alignment that crosses the Caernarvon Canal and ties into the Mississippi River levee; construct new gates across Highway 39 and the Norfolk Southern railroad track; construct a sector gate across the Caernarvon Canal
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