Our Project Recommendations

Objectives

First – Divert as much water as possible out of the watershed into the Atchafalaya river, the West Atchafalaya Floodway, and our watershed’s floodplain at Lake Fausse Pointe.

Second – Where possible manage to utilize natural retention areas

Third – Increase the efficiency of the existing in-watershed rivers and tributaries and existing controls to move the remaining water into the Gulf of Mexico.

Fourth – DO NO HARM!

Regional Project Recommendations  to Lower Stages in the Courtableau –Teche-Vermilion Watershed

Please note all of our project recommendations were derived from projects documented in USACE correspondence or projects proposed by local parish officials.

1. Encouraging the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to complete the Bayou Cocodrie and Tributaries Project (also includes Bayou Boeuf and Bayou Courtableau) flood plan as part of the current Atchafalaya Basin Plan including enlarging gates on the West Atchafalaya  Spillway and constructing new gates at the Borrow Pit  Levee.
2. Direct the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to maintenance dredge the Vermilion River to the depth and width of the original 1950s dredging. Further to conduct an annual inspection to insure that this bayou depth and width is maintained.
3. Provide a replacement for the closed Bayou Des Glaises flood gate in Avoyelles Parish and construct a new channel connecting the Bayou to the Atchafalaya River.
4. Conduct clearing and snagging operations on major bayous and canals in the watershed that impact overall drainage. The objective of the clearing ab
5. Support efforts by St. Martin Parish to drain Cypress Island Swamp into the Bayou Teche below the Keystone Dam.
6. Request the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to either remove the Keystone Locks and Dam or install a floodgate in the facility. 
7. Place two drains into Lake Martin allowing this lake to become part of the Cypress Island retention  zone.
8. Support efforts of St. Mary Parish Officials and Coastal Zone Management Authorities to   maintenance dredge the principal outlet of the Teche-Vermilion System, The Jaws Outlet, to West Cote Blanche Bay.  This critical channel is presently closed due to extreme silting creating shoals forcing this water 20 plus miles west to Vermilion Bay. 
9. Restore the Pointe Au Fer Reef to reduce storm surge. This is the dredged out natural shell reefs adjacent to the entrance to West Cote Blanche Bay.
10. Develop and Execute a Regional Flood Prevention Command and Control Operational Plan and assign the responsibilities identified in the plan to an entity responsible for execution during a threat event. The objective of this plan is to coordinate efforts of the entities that control existing an future flood management resources. This plan has been written and submitted to the entities for adoption.

Note there are many more regional flood mitigation projects that should be addressed in our watershed that are not listed here. However, we believe the above projects are the most important and should be executed first.