Because the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers didn’t have local data on how waves behave when they overtop levees and floodwalls in Louisiana, the agency relied on data from the Netherlands and California. Getting better local storm data would require expensive “hardened” gauges that can stand up to storm conditions.
Head of the state coastal agency says the $500,000 cut is simply a matter of tight government finances.
Alternatives include porous mats that hold soils in place while allowing grass to grow — at an added cost of more than $350 million. Layering the whole system with concrete is another costly option.
Study said plastic matting wouldn't have to be removed when levees are raised. Board consultant says otherwise.
Dredging at the mouth of Bayou St. John is nearly complete, with the sediment being used to anchor wetlands that will foster wildlife. The dam that was compared to a coronary blockage has been removed, allowing water to pass more freely. Proponents say the project shows how the city can live with the water around us, rather than fight it.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says the state is responsible for each piece of the system when the corps says it's done. Local officials say that's like buying a car one piece at a time. Not far in the future, someone will have to pay to upgrade the system to deal with sinking land and rising seas.
An independent levee board, a post-Katrina reform believed crucial to the city's future, has fallen prey to Gov. Jindal's opposition to a lawsuit against Big Oil.
With tropical wave threatening the Gulf, early storm protection is activated — but not whole system.
Will outraged state officials scuttle a major post-Katrina reform in their effort to please the oil industry?
It's easy to think of the 130-mile long system of floodwalls and levees as a ring around New Orleans. But because the food protection system must accommodate ships passing through the city, there are many openings that must be closed as a storm approaches. It starts 4 days before landfall.
