Construction to begin on Choupic levee

Lafourche Parish Government officials settled a court injunction last week with the logging contractor found hauling logs with an 18-wheeler on top of a levee near the Choupic community on April 13.

Considerable damage had been done to about a one-forth-mile span of the approximately two and a half mile levee protecting the Choupic area.

Originally JKM logging was thought to be the culprit, but Public Works Drector Kerry Babin said Southland Timber Resources, also of Winnfield, has since stepped forward and taken responsibility.

The logging company’s legal council agreed to the terms of the injunction hours before the scheduled court hearing Thursday.

But in the meantime, the levee must be fixed to protect citizens of the Choupic community from potential flooding.

Babin said members of the Army Corps of Engineers inspected the damage last week.

“They are going to render their opinion and make direct contact with the logging company,” said Babin. “We wanted the corps to take a look at the damage before we began repairs, and since they’ve looked at it, we should begin repairs on that levee probably later this week.”

Because of rain, the dirt would not be able to settle if it is simply placed on top of the levee. Therefore, Babin said parish workers will implement a process called keying.

“It’s like cutting a trench in the middle of the remains of the levee to begin filling that so that it has a good foundation to build upon,” said Babin. “We can’t just put on dirt now, and expect it to reform the levee.”

The levee’s nice, grassy texture has become baron soil, rendering it almost useless.

“So once the trench is cut, we need to begin filling it with good levee material, which we will probably have to haul in material to get a good foundation for that levee,” said Babin.

Babin said this process could take several weeks and rainy weather could add to the completion time, but he expects it to be finished by hurricane season.

“But it will not be in the same condition it was prior to the damage, because it was a seasoned, well-settled levee before this work,” he said. “We can repair it, but it being in the same condition it was comes with time and grass growth.”

The parish will fund the repairing of the levee for the time being, but Babin said it is still reserving its right to proceed against all of the logging companies identified for damages.