Soniat Canal - With 5 of the 8 project phases complete.
Nearly 15 years after the Southeastern Louisiana Flood Control Program (SELA) was created, all of the original pump station upgrades have been completed and 60 percent of the canal system improvements are complete. With a major portion of the projects finished, Jefferson Parish resi dents are already enjoying dramatic improvements to drainage. In response to the 1995 floods that devastated much of the parish, SELA was established to make significant improvements to our flood protection and drainage system. Since 1997, more than half a billion dollars have been invested on 47 major canal system improvements and pump station upgrades on both the east and west banks.
Originally, Jefferson Parish was required to pay a 25 percent match on a yearly basis, while the federal government provided the remaining 75 percent. This was changed following Hurricane Katrina when Congress waived the local match by allocating $100 million in emergency money to finish seven SELA projects. In 2008 Congress reinstated the local match, but in 2009, the funding agreement changed again. This time, the federal government agreed to fund 100 percent of the remaining projects with the stipulation that Jefferson Parish pay back a 35 percent share plus interest over 30 years. This was good news, allowing SELA work to continue without the parish having to struggle to fund its share on a yearly basis. Under this new plan, SELA projects currently underway or under design will be completed including the long awaited Harahan Pump-to-the- River Project.
Gadere Canal Improvements (Phase II) was completed in April 2010
With $345 million in SELA projects remaining for both the east and west banks of the Mississippi, Jefferson Parish will begin picking up the 35 percent match in 2014. At that time, Jefferson will be required to make annual payments estimated between $1 million and $7.4 million per year. Jefferson’s current millage generates $10 million a year, which should cover the required payback. While most of the pump station work under SELA has been completed, the largest project to date – estimated to cost $180 million – is just beginning. The Harahan Pump-to-the-River Project is designed to divert 1,200 cubic feet of rainwater per second from the Soniat Canal to the Mississippi River. This will shorten the distance the water has to travel and alleviate stress on the Elmwood Pumping Station. Expected to take six to eight years to complete, the project will be conducted in six phases to create manageable construction projects. The first phase, the installation of a section of the discharge tubes, has already been completed. Design of the remaining phases is underway, the largest of which will include a $40 million pump station, set to begin construction by the end of 2010.
In addition, another pump station project on the west bank is moving to the completed column. The Cousins Pump Station in Harvey, funded by the West Bank Hurricane Protection Project and SELA, involved the installation of flood gates in the Harvey Canal that renders the Harvey Pump Station inoperable when the gates are closed. In the event of a hurricane, the gate structures, the pump station, floodwall and levees will work together to protect the surrounding community, stopping tidal surge beyond the gates. This project became operational in the fall of 2009, and final completion is expected in May of 2010.
