[StBernard] Concern over river levee near Algiers/Chalmette ferry landing

[Westley Annis]

Concern over river levee near Algiers/Chalmette ferry landing

09:01 PM CDT on Friday, September 11, 2009

 Dennis Woltering / Eyewitness News

Pictures and reports from the quarterly and annual inspections of the
Mississippi River levee on the West Bank document damage to parts of the
concrete armor on the river levee in Algiers. 


"This occurred during high water events, primarily during Hurricane Katrina
as the waters rose," said Susan Maclay, of the Southeast Louisiana Flood
Protection Authority West.  "You may recall there was a real barge issue.
There were ships up on the levee." 


Maclay says her agency, which maintains the levees by cutting grass and
clearing debris, has been asking the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to repair
that damage for almost four years now.  The Corps is responsible for the
structural integrity of the levees. 


"We began asking, bringing this problem to the Corps' attention as soon as
we discovered it.  We conduct quarterly inspections as well as the annual
inspection, and in every one of our reports this has been noted," she said. 


Algiers resident David Jackson says it looks like some kind of a machine
with tractor treads caused the damage right next to the Algiers/Chalmette
ferry.  He says he first noticed it about a year ago. 


"You would have thought someone would have come along behind him and filled
it in with cement," Jackson said.  "But it's still like that." 


In a series of phone calls and emails, Eyewitness News asked the Army Corps
of Engineers why damage to the concrete had not been repaired. 


At one point, Corps spokeswoman Amanda Jones e-mailed to say that temporary
measures had been taken on the damaged concrete slope pavement to protect
the integrity of the levee.  


"That's true," Maclay said.  "They brought in some rip rap, a very temporary
situation.by no means a true repair to the concrete." 


Maclay adds that the Corps only did that in a couple of places.  At least
eight other points of damage on the Algiers levee haven't even gotten
temporary repairs. 


"It's frustrating," Maclay said. 


Corps spokesman Rene Poche said the damage has not been repaired because of
natural conditions. 


"Because of the extremely high water seasons we've had the last two years
with the Mississippi River, we haven't been able to get in there and do
those repairs.  But we will be starting in October," he said.  


Poche says the Corps has fixed the two places that were considered critical.
But critics still ask about the other areas. 


"That area was inspected and was found not to have any structural issues.
It is safe the way it is," Poche said. 


Maclay says it is okay right now, however she worries about the future.  She
questions whether another high water event could lead to scouring, which
would begin to undermine the levee, eroding and eating away at the dirt
underneath. 


Four years after some of the damage took place, the Corps is now promising
to finally make those repairs. 


"We've been hearing that for a year now," Maclay said. 

         

Poche says the Corps will get to it next month.