Pictures taken December 15, 2009 after record rainfall.

Click here to monitor information produced by the water monitoring device in Bayou St. John.

To navigate the site, left-mouse click on the small box with an “+” in it to open the stations groups. Click the box next to the station group to see the individual stations. When you see the Stations such as “Lafitte Street” click the name to see the parameters. For water level, select depth. You can modify the graph by entering the dates you would like to displayed.

The data backs up your observation of another slight rise in water level this morning. Attached is a graph of the 12/10/09 through 12/15/09 data set. As you can see, the level started dropping when the drain valve @ Lafitte Street was opened yesterday morning, but the level rose approximately 0.5 feet from about 10 oclock last night until roughly noon. The N.O. S&WB and Orleans Levee Board crews were on the bayou this morning sand bagging the Lafitte street and opening the remaining valves @ Orleans Ave. and Moss St. and the one near the LSU Dental School.

Recent History as of 2009

Over twenty-five years ago, it took a lawsuit, public outrage and legislation to force the Orleans Levee Board and the Corps of Engineers to construct the existing sector gate at the mouth of the bayou instead of a levee that would have created a lagoon.

This gate, completed in 1992 with over $11 million of taxpayer funds under a Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries permit, includes binding conditions that the gate remain open except for storm events and removal of the “waterfall dam” at Robert E. Lee Blvd., an obsolete flood protection structure that impedes the entry of water from Lake Pontchartrain. Both conditions have been ignored. The state’s Scenic Rivers Coordinator has indicated that these permit conditions are still binding and enforceable.

Recently, our new levee authority, the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority - East has issued a resolution of support for our objectives.

The Corps of Engineers intends to dewater and inspect the sector gate but stop short of a full mechanical inspection, leaving that task to the local levee authority.

The gate was designed with a system to prevent corrosion that requires regular maintenence, a critical function that also appears to have been ignored. The engineering firm that designed the gate has recommended a complete inspection and dewatering of the structure before proceeding with any modifications. This inspection must be accomplished, if solely for flood protection reasons alone.

The Alliance intends to push for an independent and transparent overview of the sector gate inspection process.

The SLFPAE wants to secure expensive hydrology and perimeter elevation surveys before opening either sector or sluice gates that would allow lake water to enter the bayou. The Alliance is exploring the possibility that conversion of drains into weirs will permit concurrent drainage and allow one or more sluice gates (tubes within the sector gate structure) to remain open most of the time. This interim step should require a less expensive and smaller scope of study than that to consider opening the larger sector gate. Scientists tell us that a free flow of lake water though the bayou is preferable to the current situation.

Again, flood protection is our first priority.

Who is responsible?

Orleans Levee District - no longer enjoys revenues from casinos, marinas and airports. Responsible for operation of the sector gate. Now takes direction and receives funding from our new levee authority, SLFPAE.

The Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority East - our new levee authority. Lacks funding and takes direction from CPRA. Issued a resolution supporting the Alliance and our objectives.

The Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority - provides direction to SLFPAE and can provide funding to SLFPAE beyond dedicated tax millages. Members are appointed by the Governor.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - responsible for flood protection including the lakefront and the sector gate at Bayou St. John. Denies responsibility to restore the gate to good operating condition.

New Orleans City Park - “owns” the bed, banks and waters of Bayou St. John between the mouth and City Park Ave. according to 1934 legislation and various legal opinions. Ownership south of that point is unclear. Dependent on the bayou for maintenance of water levels in their lagoons.

The Sewerage & Water Board of New Orleans - responsible for drainage of the bayou . Opens the Lafitte St. and/or Florida Ave. drains at the request of the Orleans Levee District.