In a significant victory for Louisiana’s ongoing flood protection and resilience efforts, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) granted the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority’s (CPRA) request for interest relief for the Southeast Louisiana Urban Flood Control Project (SELA).
This renegotiation is set to deliver an estimated $68 million in interest savings, allowing CPRA to redirect funds toward critical flood risk reduction projects in Orleans and Jefferson Parishes. SELA advances water infrastructure in Jefferson and Orleans Parishes, reducing the risk of flood damages up to a level associated with a 10-year rainfall event, which equates to approximately nine inches of rain over a 24-hour period for our area. Plans in Orleans Parish involve upgrades to 16 major drainage lines, enhanced pumping at two pump stations, and the addition of two new pump stations. In Jefferson Parish, 24 drainage canals were improved, along with expanded pumping capacity at four pump stations and the construction of two new pump stations.
SELA also includes infrastructure planning for St. Tammany Parish, with proposed channel enlargements, bridge replacements, pump stations, retention ponds, levees, T-walls, and the elevation of flood-prone structures across Slidell, Mandeville, Covington, Abita Springs, and Lacombe.
All major SELA construction was completed in Jefferson Parish in 2017, and 85% of scheduled work in Orleans Parish is also complete. The remaining work in Orleans is anticipated to conclude by 2027, with further studies and additional improvements in the planning stages as funding is secured.
