YOUNGSVILLE, La. — Work is underway at Lasalle Coulee to restore the drainage channel to its original depth as part of ongoing flood mitigation efforts in Youngsville.
"We can't win every battle with Mother Nature, but we can win some battles," said Terry Bourque, chief operations officer with the city of Youngsville.
The dredging process aims to remove sediment that has accumulated over time from agricultural runoff and soil deposits.
"It's sediment that throughout the year came in from the farmers, the actual soil, so we are trying to get it back to where it was designed to allow the maximum flow out for the roadside drainage to convey in, for the detention ponds to convey in," Bourque said.
Officials say the cleanup of Lasalle Coulee is essential to ensure the channel can handle maximum capacity during heavy rainfall events.
"We are trying to make sure we have the maximum outflow as possible to ensure we have as best of a drainage system as we have, and we are blessed to have great operators with public works that have a lot of experience and take pride in their work," Bourque said.
The dredging work is part of a comprehensive drainage maintenance program. The city also maintains subsurface drainage systems and conducts regular inspections of bridge crossings and culverts.
"We take care to make sure we don't over dredge or over dig or change anything from the original design. We're just basically doing maintenance, getting the clog out in a sense, so that's where we're at with that and we are trying to cover as much area as possible," Bourque said.
For residents who have experienced flooding, the work provides hope for improved drainage. Resident Rodgers Thibodaux who has lived in the area for six years and has experienced past flooding said any improvement would be welcome.
"Any idea is better than what we got going on today," he said. "It makes me and my family feel unsafe because of the depth of the water."
He also tells KATC that the the city's fast growing population may also have an impact.
"My main concern is all the people coming in, moving in here. The new houses being built. It's higher elevated then the houses that are already here so it's taking in water from the new subdivision," he says.
Maintaining drainage channels is a year-round effort in Youngsville, but it's all worth it to make sure the city and those who live in it are safe.
The current project is expected to be completed next week, with additional drainage projects planned for the future.
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