JBE Announces construction on permanent Bayou Chene floodgate

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Governor John Bel Edwards announced construction is now underway on components of a permanent floodgate on Bayou Chene below Morgan City that will provide flood protection for portions of six parishes.

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During high water events on the Atchafalaya River, Bayou Chene has been a major conduit for backwater flooding in the parishes of St. Mary, Terrebonne, Lafourche, St. Martin, Assumption, and Iberville.

The governor announced funding for the permanent structure in March of 2019, but before the project could commence, another high water event coupled with the anticipated opening of the Morganza Floodway triggered the emergency sinking of a barge closure, a temporary structure that was also used during high river events in 1973, 2011, and 2016.

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