NEW IBERIA, La. --- On behalf of the City of New Iberia, Mayor Freddie DeCourt is pleased to announce the award of grant funding to the City by the Office of the Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser, State of Louisiana through the Office of State Parks on the following project:
FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINSTRATION
RECREATIONAL TRAILS PROGRAM
FOR LOUISIANA
New Iberia Downtown Canoe/Kayak Dock
Funds will provide for construction of the New Iberia Trailhead located on a .42 acres site on the bank of the Bayou Teche adjacent to the New Iberia National Register Commercial Historic District at the base of the Duperier Street Bridge. The basic components are a floating dock structure, an elevated pathway to the dock, public parking, and proper lighting, kiosk signage identifying the historic nature of the park, paddling trail signage, benches, trash can receptacle and a walkway trail from the Duperier Street Bridge into the pocket park.
Added to the National Water Trail System in 2015, the Bayou Teche is the 17th water trail in the country, and the first in Louisiana. The Bayou Teche is a 135-mile-long waterway of great cultural significance in south central Louisiana in the United States, and New Iberia’s dock is one of several either proposed or installed along the waterway.
The bayou flows through the middle of downtown, and will provide to tourists all of the amenities that the City of New Iberia has to offer. Nature and wildlife lovers can enjoy exploring the Bayou Teche Corridor region of the heritage area, a unique river swamp eco-system with a variety of fish species, birds, alligators and black bear.
A special thank you to the Lt. Governor and to Louisiana Senator Fred H. Mills, Jr. – District 22 for his continued support for tourism based projects along the Bayou Teche Corridor and the Atchafalaya National Heritage Area, and Michael W. Domingue, Recreational Trails Program Administrator for Louisiana.
For more information, please call the city of New Iberia at (337) 369-2300 (ext. 1100).
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