On June 10, Advocate reporter John McMillan opined in his article, “Holden rejects tri-parish dredging suggestion,” and I quote Mr. McMillan, “dredging would allow more water to be held in the bayou.” This was the position I took on all our bayous as an Ascension Parish councilman from 2004 through 2007.
Over the years, two engineering firms that specialize in drainage systems recommended that we dredge our bayous which drain to the pump station as a less costly and more effective alternative to adding pumps. Recently, our current Drainage Board members/councilmen instead have opted for a new engineering study by a New Orleans firm that recommends an expensive pumping project that will also cost millions over the years to operate and maintain.
Engineers I have queried have told me these additional pumps will have minimal impact on our drainage system and only in the southern reaches of the Parish. The further north you travel, the additional pumps will have little to no impact on three drainage bayous, Black Bayou, Bayou Narcisse and Grand Goudine Bayou which drain to the pump station. Black Bayou begins south of Ronda Place Subdivision and Grand Goudine begins south of Seven Oaks. This pumping project will provide absolutely no benefits to Welch Gulley in Hope Villa and Muddy Creek Bayou that begins in Seven Oaks that both drain north to the Bayou Manchac nor Henderson Bayou which begins at Hwy. 42 in Little Prairie drains east to the Amite River. Our taxpayers, especially in northern Ascension will receive essentially no benefit from these additional pumps.
In closing, this $15.2 million pump and estimated cost of $10 million later for another pump and maintenance makes little sense when an alternative as simple as dredging would have helped in solving many of our drainage problems. I thank Mr. McMillan for so aptly helping to reinforce my point of view. It’s somewhat reassuring to know that while many elected officials disagreed with me on drainage solutions, at least the reporter understands one fact – dredged bayous hold more water.
Doug Hillensbeck
Prairieville
