July 21 2023
Henderson LA
Enterprise Dixie Pipeline Spoil Banks in the West Atchafalaya Floodway
Update
At LAST! Four years after identifying this major problem we have finally broken ground and started actual construction on the project. Dredge the Vermilion believes this to be the first multi-parish regional drainage project in the Teche-Vermilion Watershed and possibly the entire state to actually break ground since the great flood of 2016.
The contractor US Aqua Dredging is clearing the Dixie Pipeline gap areas in preparation for removing over 17,000 cubic yards of silt and dirt restoring 25 gaps in the spoil banks along the pipeline. Project activity is being coordinated with Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries which will be drawing down Lake Henderson starting soon. Completion is estimated in 45-60 days.
Some officials of St Martin Parish, CPRA, the contractor, and DTV toured the project location on July 21st. Photos can be found near the end of this article.
History
Back in late summer 2019 the State of Louisiana Coastal Restoration Authority (CPRA) held a public hearing in the town of Henderson LA. Attending were authorities of several parishes, Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries, the US Army Corps of Engineers(USACE), members of US Congressman’s Higgins staff, and several Dredge the Vermilion (DTV) board members.ย At the meeting CPRA announced that they had assumed responsibility for the Atchafalaya Basin Program and were meeting with the public concerning projects that could improve the basin. Several St Martin Parish authorities including the Mayor of Henderson Sherbin Collette , Parish Council Member Chris Tauzin , and Atchafalaya Levee Board member Jody Meche immediately identified spoil banks on the Dixie Pipeline as a critical problem that impacted both drainage in the watershed and water quality in the basin and Lake Henderson.
The Dixie Pipeline was constructed in the early 1960’s and the pipeline canal was never backfilled.ย Over the years the gaps left in the spoil banks had silted in and became overgrown with trees and other vegetation.
DTV volunteered to assist St Martin Parish in writing up a project concept and proposal. This was done and submitted to CPRA who approved the plan and included it in their 2020 workplan.
Contact was made with the pipeline company asking them to address the problem. DTV had 3 private practice attorneys review the Right of Way (ROW) Agreements and they clearly stated maintenance of the ROW was the responsibility of the pipeline company. However, we were unable to get the pipeline company to address the problem, so a decision was made to proceed with the work as a CPRA Basin Program Project. Senator Fred Mills assisted in securing funding for the project.
After starting work CPRA advised that due to the age of the original pipeline construction (early 60โs) that no Environmental Impact Study (EIS) existed as this was not required at that time. As a result, CPRA advised delays for USACE permit issuance could be several years. DTV and the parishes believed this to be an emergency as this blockage threaten the entire watershed to varying degrees of severity. DTV helped secure a recommendation for action by getting approved resolutions of 5 parishes and 1 levee board in the watershed. Our plan was present these resolutions asking the Governor to declare a state of emergency allowing CPRA to move forward with the project without a USACE Permit. The Governor authorized LA DOTD to work with the USACE and CPRA and agreement to issue a permit was finally secured. It should be noted that the CPRA project is a maintenance project and our objective was to restore the flows as originally constructed back in the 60’s.
The investigation of this matter was documented, analyzed, and money in the 2021 CPRA Basin Program was approved to remedy this situation. The flood flows after Hurricane Laura in August 2020 and Hurricane Delta illustrated the severity of this obstruction. Data was sent to the USACE with our analysis, and they acknowledged there was indeed a problem with the drainage between the Bayou Courtableau gates and Lake Henderson.
The West Atchafalaya Floodway is one of 4 main drains that service the entire Teche-Vermilion Watershed.
Due to flood control projects executed by the US Federal Government along with pipeline and highway construction inside the basin has resulted in blocked or restricted water flows degrading water quality and impacting both flood management and commercial as well as sport fisheries.
Over time many additional canals and bayous in the basin have also become silted and grown up requiring some clearing and snagging to restore flows. These blocked flows have caused flood waters to backup impacting agricultural operations and contributing to residential flooding.
Images
Location of Enterprise Dixie Pipeline South of US190 and North of I10 
Overview of Planned Gaps in Spoil Banks
Detail of a Typical Gap
Dixie Team Meeting Before Site Tour
Dixie Team on Site Tour
Machine Clearing Site for Gap in Spoil Bank
Example Cleared Gap Site Ready for Excavation 
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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 โDredge the Vermilionโ)
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