January 27, 2017
Morganza Minute
News from the Morganza Action Coalition

Falgout Canal Floodgate Construction to Begin
Terrebonne Parish transfers $16.8 million in federal  disaster  recovery funds to Terrebonne Levee District for floodgate.

Construction of the Falgout Canal Floodgate in Bayou Dularge, a high priority in the Morganza to the Gulf Hurricane Protection System, is expected to begin this year thanks to $16.8 million in federal funds transferred by Terrebonne Parish Consolidated Government to the Terrebonne Levee and Conservation District at a news conference Tuesday.


The federal funds are part of a Community Development Block Grant that the parish received for disaster recovery after Hurricanes Gustav and Ike in 2008. This $16.8 million will be combined with $13.8 million in State Capital Outlay funds approved by the Legislature for Morganza in 2016 to build the $30 million Falgout Canal Floodgate. 

"This is a great day for Morganza and Terrebonne Parish," said Terrebonne Parish President Gordon Dove. "This floodgate is the linchpin to close in the complete Morganza levee system from Pointe Aux Chenes to Dularge."  

The Falgout Canal structure will be the 13th floodgate along the Morganza alignment and will provide storm surge protection and environmental benefits.

TLCD Director Reggie Dupre and Parish President Gordon Dove sign documents allocating
$16.8 million to the Falgout Canal Floodgate as
Sen. Norby Chabert and attorney Jacob Dagate look on.
CPRA Visits Houma for Master Plan Public Hearing
MAC voices support for Morganza as priority project in Plan.

 
MAC Chairman Jay Walker joined many other residents, business owners, and government leaders in Houma Tuesday night to voice their support for Morganza to the Gulf and other local levee and coastal restoration projects at a public hearing on the 2017 Coastal Master Plan.

"We are pleased to see the Morganza system once again proposed for inclusion in the 2017 Master Plan," said Walker. "MAC urges the CPRA, Governor Edwards and our Louisiana Legislature to continue to make the completion of this system, particularly the HNC Lock Complex, a high priority for funding in our state's integrated coastal protection and restoration plan." 

Also attending the public hearing were North Lafourche Levee District's Dwayne Bourgeois, South Lafourche Levee District's Windell Curole, and Reggie Dupre from the Terrebonne Levee and Conservation District.  

The Master Plan serves as a prioritized blueprint for the long-term funding, design and construction of coastal restoration and flood protection projects.  

The DRAFT 2017 Louisiana Coastal Master Plan and DRAFT FY 2018 Annual Plan are available online for public review and comment
at  http://coastal.la.gov/2017-coastal-master-plan/  and    http://coastal.la.gov/a-common-vision/annualplan/ .  Written comments may be submitted until March 26.

MAC and TLCD Make BIG Presentation

MAC President 
Jay Walker
TLCD Director
Reggie Dupre
MAC President Jay Walker and TLCD Executive Director Reggie Dupre updated members of the Bayou Industrial Group on MAC's expanded focus and the progress on Morganza to the Gulf at the BIG Luncheon on January 9 in Thibodaux.

Walker explained that MAC now advocates for comprehensive levee protection in Lafourche and Terrebonne, and has the participation of representatives from all three levee districts in the two parishes as the group works to advance Morganza.

Dupre thanked the Lafourche levee districts for their work on Morganza levee reaches K and L - stretching 10.5 miles from Pointe Aux Chenes to Cut Off in Lafourche Parish - that, once built,  will help protect northern Lafourche and the City of Thibodaux.

Approximately 45 miles of levees and floodgates along the 98-mile Morganza alignment from east of Dularge to Cut Off have been completed, permitted, or are under construction or in design, funded entirely by $350 million in local and state funds spent or committed to date and zero federal funds.

News From Washington
Congressman Graves Named Chair of Water Resources Committee, 
MAC Applauds  Passage  of 2016 WRDA

Congratulations to U.S. Congressman Garret Graves who was named Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment this week. 

Graves, who recently finished his second year serving in the House of Representatives, has more than 20 years of experience working on water resources issues and is a vocal champion for the Morganza system and our Bayou Region flood protection and restoration needs. 

"We're going to work toward making Louisiana's coast and the state's need for hurricane and flood protection a case study on how it should be done - instead of another story of government failure," he said.
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  At the close of 2016, the U.S. House and Senate approved a new Water Resources Development Act, critical legislation for our levee and flood control projects in Terrebonne and Lafourche.

The Act includ es key provisions pushed by MAC  to  streamline  the   levee  permitting process and  speed up  construction of the Morganza to the Gulf Hurricane Protection System and North Lafourche and South Lafourche levees.

"Now, we can hopefully spend more of our time and money on building levees rather than meeting unreasonable federal requirements that threaten our ability to protect ourselves," says MAC President Jay Walker. "MAC thanks our Terrebonne and Lafourche levee districts and Congressional delegation for working with us to achieve this huge victory on Capitol Hill."

HTV's January 24 Edition of "Going Public" Features South Lafourche Levee District

 
South Lafourche Levee District General Manager Windell Curole
was the guest on the January 24 edition of the "Going Public" news segment on HTV.

In Segment 1 Curole discusses flood insurance and levee projects in the district.

In Segment 2 , he discusses the 2017 Draft Louisiana Coastal Master Plan.

The North Lafourche Levee District will be featured on "Going Public" on Tuesday, February 28. Visit Morganza.org to view recorded segments of past shows with our Terrebonne and Lafourche levee officials.


"Going Public" segments featuring the levee districts of Morganza Action Coalition are sponsored by: 


The Morganza Action Coalition is a 501(c)(4) corporation founded in 2006 by Terrebonne Parish residents and business leaders who recognize the importance of the Morganza-to-the-Gulf Hurricane Protection System to the continued survivability, economic viability and growth of our region. Today, MAC advocates for comprehensive levee protection for Terrebonne & Lafourche Parishes. 



MAC relies on financial contributions from local businesses and individuals to
support these advocacy efforts in Washington, D.C. and in Baton Rouge, as well as to fund outreach and communication activities to gain public support for the Morganza to the Gulf Hurricane Protection System and levee projects in North and South Lafourche.
 
Lori LeBlanc, MAC Managing Consultant
Telephone:  (985) 209-7932
E-mail:  info@Morganza.org
Web:  www.Morganza.org