8/11/2023 Courtableau LA
Back in Oct 2019 DTV reported our teaming up with St Martin Parish, St Landry Parish, and The State of Louisiana Coastal Restoration Authority (CPRA) in a flood mitigation and water quality improvement effort for areas in the West Atchafalaya Floodway starting just south of where US190 crosses the floodway down to Henderson Lake. A proposal for a multi-phase prioritized list of projects was drafted that was accepted by CPRA for consideration and execution if permits and funding could be arranged, and engineering proved the projects beneficial.
Enterprise Dixie Pipeline Spoil Bank Gapping Project – Proirity 1
Three weeks ago we posted an update on the priority one project which was gapping the spoil banks on the Enterprise Dixie Pipeline (Dixie P/L). You can read that update at this link Update-Enterprise Dixie Pipeline Spoil Bank Gapping Project – Dredge The Vermilion
We are very happy to report that this priority 1 project is near completion which was estimated within 10 days! This is a major milestone in our efforts to improve both flood mitigation for ten parishes in the Teche-Vermilion Watershed and water quality in Lake Henderson.
Grimmett Canal Outfall Project – Priority 2
With our priority 1 project nearing completion it was timely to survey our priority 2 project, a Grimmett Canal Outfall improvement which will be designed to address the drainage and water quality south of the Courtableau Floodgates and north of our priority 1 project, the Dixie P/L. This project will greatly enhance the effectiveness of the Dixie P/L project in moving flood flows down to Henderson Lake and also improve water quality in the Henderson Lake area. Pictures taken during the survey are near the end of this article.
The objective of the survey was to get a visual survey of the Grimmett Outfall by both CPRA and the contractor currently working on the Dixie P/L so a budgetary estimate could be developed and we could start looking for funding of the project in CPRA’s Basin workplan. Three personnel from CPRA led by Basin Team Leader Wes LeBlanc, a representative of the contractor Vice President Tyler Roy, and two representatives from DTV, were taken on the survey trip led by Jody Meche of St Martin Parish.
Why are these projects important? The history.
In the Beginning, after the Great Flood of 1927 and before 1935, Bayou Courtableau drained to the Atchafalaya River. Below is a timeline of what happened after 1935 when the Federal Government and US Army Corps of Engineers addressed the Great 1927 Flood by building more levees and the Mississippi River Floodway system which included the West Atchafalaya , Morganaza, and Bonne Carre Floodways in Louisiana.
1935- Built Federal Levees Systems and Floodways after which blocked Bayou Courtableau’s drain path to Atchafalaya River!
1940 – Greatest Flood Ever Recorded at Surrey Gage – 7ft higher than 2016!
1943 – a second major flood!
1947 – a third major flood!
1950’s- Dredged the Vermilion (Project 1)
1957- Added Flood Gates for Bayou Courtableau (Project 2) and an outfall for these gates, the Grimmett Canal
2016– The Great Flood of 2016 – the first major flood in 69 years since the 2 projects above were completed.
DTV conducted research regarding the 2016 flood and the role Bayou Courtableau Floodgates and their outfall flow paths played and concluded improving that drainage path would have potentially saved 1000’s of homes from flooding in our watershed. Subsequent smaller floods after 2016 including a flood event after Hurricanes Marco and Laura firmed up our analysis providing evidence there were major problems with the ability the West Atchafalaya Floodway to handle flood flows and move those flood flows south to Henderson Lake and ultimately to the Atchafalaya River. This analysis was supported by the USACE after we sent them our data with a confirmation that a problem existed.
Some notes on the project
The Overall Key Objectives of the Atchafalaya Basin Project
Our opportunity and objective is to create a world class tourist and fishing destination in our Atchafalaya Basin by initially focusing on improvements to the Henderson Lake area. These recommended improvements also provide improved flood management in the entire Teche-Vermilion watershed.
These projects align with our objectives of maximizing the utilization of natural retention areas like the Henderson Swamp for flood water management, divert flood flows away from the land side of the West Atchafalaya Floodway into the floodway side, as well as our objectives to improve water quality and wildlife habitat.
Comments
“As you can see in the below pictures the Bayou at the High Power Lines ROW is bigger but really shallow. Shoaled worse than Vermilion River at Rotary Point. I need to verify but I seem to remember the USACE estimated flow at that gate Upstream as 2x highest south flows at Surrey on the Vermilion River”
From our Board Legal Advisor Gordon Schoeffler “I spent the first 13 years of my law practice representing the fishermen in the Basin over the hundreds of spoil banks out there that are just like the Dixie pipeline. One of those older fishermen once told me, they ain’t gonna do anything about these things till people start getting water in their homes in Baton Rouge and Lafayette. Turns out, he was right. This is bigger than y’all know. Great job everyone!”
“When it comes to retention size matters. The Henderson Swamp is an enormous flood plain. This is why we are working on this opportunity ”
Here are some photos of from this survey.
Survey Team
Courtableau Flood Gates on West Atchafalaya Floodway Guide Levee (downstream inside floodway)
Grimmett Canal Outfall for Courtableau Floodgates
Outfall of Grimmett Canal connector to Upper Bayou Fordoche
Indian Bayou Area along Upper Bayou Fordoche – Note exposed roots indicating high velocity flows during flood events washing soil from trees root systems
Upper Bayou Fordoche at High Power Line Right of Way (ROW)
Jody Meche standing in Upper Bayou Fordoche Channel at High Power Line ROW
Location of above Picture
Downstream at the Dixie P/L – Typical Gap being Excavated
Excavator on Dixie P/L restoring Gaps to allow Drainage 
𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐃𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐨n
Dredge the Vermilion (DTV) is a non-profit 501(C)(3) setup to inform the public about the need to identify and to perform regional drainage projects in the Teche-Vermilion watershed.
The board and advisors of DTV are all citizen volunteers with varying backgrounds from engineering, business owners, business management, medical, banking, and legal.
If you wish to help with our efforts please like and share our posts on Facebook(search “Dredge the Vermilion”)
Website
Please see our website at www.dredgethevermilion.org if you would like to make a donation. All donations help fund our website, Facebook and other marketing efforts, public outreach, and research.
Thank You,
Dave Dixon
President Dredge the Vermilion