The Morganza-to-the-Gulf Hurricane Protection Project will receive $12.46 million in New Start Construction funding from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) this year, marking the first federal investment in construction of the critical levee, lock and floodgate project in Terrebonne and Lafourche Parishes.
"This has been such a team effort and such welcomed news," said NLLD Executive Director Dwayne Bourgeois, who worked with Louisiana's Congressional delegation and other federal, state and local leaders to secure the project's New Start eligibility in federal legislation and funding in the USACE's annual work plan.
"We have worked diligently with the Corps at all levels and the LA CPRA to come up with innovative solutions to rethink the cost of this project. This was based on real-word experience learned from the tremendous work done by the Terrebonne Levee District, Terrebonne Parish and the State. With that ready to go, our DC Delegation worked tirelessly to get the appropriations language correct to suit our project. They made it their number one priority and they got it done," Bourgeois said.
For years, Lafourche and Terrebonne Parish residents have taxed themselves to fund construction of local levee and flood protection projects. Over $1 billion in local and state funds, in fact, have been committed to the Morganza project to date as the NLLD, Terrebonne Conservation and Levee District, and South Lafourche Levee District work to build the first lifts of the 98-mile system.
The $12.46 million from USACE this year is allocated for the Humble Canal Floodgate and is just the beginning of what local leaders hope to be continued federal investment to construct the project to 100-year storm protection levels by 2035. A completed Morganza system will protect over 250,000 area residents and valuable coastal wetlands, reduce flood insurance premiums, and sustain the economic and cultural assets of our precious coastal communities.
