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9300 HAYNE BOULEVARD . La. 70127 242-8008 t'ia Kenneth J. Lesieur, Ch'airam · November 24 1 196.5 Ptilip lerdecker, Vice·Cbairmaa :tor Tm, Secretary \

Colon9l Thomas J. Bowen~ District Engineer . Arr:iy Corps ot :Engineers Box 60267 ... .~ New Orleans, Iouisiana Re: 1962 Master Plan for Hurricane Flood Control Dear Colonel Bowen: Our Committee has been vitally interested in improved hurricane flood control for the New Orleans area since its formation 18 months ago. · In oW. opinion your master plan is the only permanent answer for adequate hurricane flood protection. We do feel, however, that Hurricane Betsy showed. the need for some amendments to your proposal.

Please refer to the enclosed suggested ar::.~ndments as proposed by our Comnittee, along with map~ clari~ying.the .recommended revisions.

If in order,· :we would appreciate an opportunity to meet wi1;.h you and· your start at the earliest opportunity to discuss our suggested revisions. ?' We thank you for your kind. atte1:1tion and iook torw&r

T~.Citizens Committee tor Hurricane Flood Control was orzanized in the spring of 1964 to s y the U. S. Army Corps ot ~gineers' Interim Survey Report, La and. Vicinity, dated 21 November, 1962. ' • This Co::;nittee approved the barrier, low level flood protection plans as outlined. in the krrrr:! Engineers report, and ottered its help in implementing the program. Hurricane Hilda pointed out the necessity tor better protection on the south shore ot lake Pontchartrain. Our committee was instrumental in getting a levee constructed. along Hayne Blvd. on the south shore or the lake. .

Since Hurricane Betsy, t~s conmittee has taken a long hard look at - at liappened, why, it happened, and what ahould be done to prevent a reoccurence ot the flooding caused by Betsy. The opinion or this committee is that the Corps ot Engineers' flood. protection plan is ad.e­ quate tor New Orleans, 'Wast of .the Inter Harbor Navigation Canal (Industrial Ca.nai), but ao:Mi revisions should be mad.e to proVide ~rotection east or the .

The Citizens Committee !or Hurricane ood Control recommends the .toll.owing revisions: A. Eliminate the. proposed Seabrook Locks in their entirety and replace with flood gate-.. ,•• B. Construct flood gate across Intercoastal Waterway. at south end or New Orleans Fa.st Levee. C. Construct flood gate across Bayou Bienvenue near entrance of take Borgne.

D. Construct flood gate across Mississippi Riv~r Gulf Outlet at north end ot Chalmett, Levee along Bayou Dupre. :! • E. Construct a new levee, 30 rt. in height, connecting flood gates on Mias. Gul.t Outltt to gates on Bayou Bienvenue and gates on Intercoastal Canal. F. Rclise the height of the 16-tt. New Orleans 3'.a.st Levee from the Intercoastal Waterway .to its intersection with the Barrier Levee· along HighW'a1' 90 to 30 feet. . . G. Raise the height of the 16-tt. Chalmette Levee from the Mississippi Gul.t Outlet, al.ong Bayou Dupre to its intersection with the Mi5sissippi River.embankment. to 30 £eet. H. El.Urlnate in its entirety the two proposed drainage structures on the Cha.lmette Levee near Bayou Dupre and near intersection o! Mississippi Gul.t Outlet and Intercoastal Canal. ~ 4$.J114#iiM4U~Qll!444Ul#J?ii.lli44¥4QUa:;;tiAP¥4NJ!fJQJ$l t4M.Mit.Ji.4»#i4VA , ~ ,..,.,..,..,.., . .. • "'Flf»lli,t61Q , '*;: 19'llk4.!JPJP&ii4..U#£. :WXP$.i +, a; ¥41 £ K t . Jil.bi] id.,Ji JJJ;Jjlflf.l#?J! I : id£ JJlUJi%41.#£l£¢1#i$1Q(4.M .

' i & tn' · · • · · · , · ' frtb ' 'f · c .{S, t dN ·•,•· +t: ' * ,, ·, ,Ji. ji>.»\f '-bf'e',f9 "91ifi.,;.•··· ,,, 0 1 1 • •• H- • .. • •• ···- -·-· --·· --·- • O " •I OI art f I 'C .-, • •t t'n ••< ,-,itct*s·e·ertt 'toliitt& JO "5z .:-1±ft·r& ·iy ·iteit 4'"**'i' Reasons tor Revisions Revision A - Seabrook Locks T'ne need tor these cost~ ($4,980,000) locks would be eliminated when the flood gates ~ Chet V.enteur, Rigolets, and our proposed levee and flood gates at the Intercoastal Water ...... y, Bayou Bienvenue, and Mississippi Gulf Outlet are· in place. With these structures clos 'the Lake and Canal level should remain the same. Our proposal tor installing flood gates a Seabrook is to stop wind driven waters from the Lake into the Industrial Canal. as hurricane Winds shift to the north.

?.avisicu~ B, C, D, E - Flood Gates on Intercoasta.l Waterw~, Bayou Bienvenue, Gulf Outlet, and Cor.necting Levee. . . The U. S. Anzry Engineers proposal tor a levee along the south shore. of the Gul!' Outlet to Bayou Dupre , and a.long the north shore of tbe Intercoastal Wate~~ woUld !orm a f'unnel, channeling all hurricane surges and wind driven water into the Intercoastal Wate~ and Industr1a.l. Canal. Constructi on ot flood gates :at points outlined. in Revisions B, C, D, an< connected by the new JO-foot levee outlined in Revision E, would complete~ elim:ina.te the tunnel effect and stop all storm and hui'Ticane surges from entering the city• .~· . Revisions F and G - Raising and Chalmette Levees. The raising of these l evees from 16 feet to JO feet would complete the barrier to ~~o~ all ~urges trom entering.the developed area.a ot New Orleans and Chalmette .

Rvvi.:.ion H - Elimination of Chalmette Drainage Structures·. · : ':Ile . ~ :Ehgineer•'. proposal to construct two ~Ainage atructures in the Chalmette Lev \. I • 1

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:i( 'he opinion of t~is comnittee, will be unnecessary- when the three new flood gates and a. levoe are co~pleted. Conclusions: ,,,,...._ T~ . - .:> co::.':littoe believen that surges from storms and hurricanes- snoUl.Cl not be allo~:.:d to enter th~ c~l~ in the devoloped areas of the city. Tho containment ot these waters behind levees i~side the city would require leveoa l'illlch higher than those proposed by the Army Engineers, especially so if locks are placed at Seabrook. Levees of sui"ficient height would not be practical. With this coz::mittee's proposed revision to the Anay Engineers' flood protection plan, the Seabrook Locks and the two drainage structures in the Chalmette levee would be elimna.ted. Money saved could be used to con~truct the new 30-foot levee and the three new flood gates. We have not been able to make a detailed estimate o! the cost o! our propoaed revisions to the r.a.ster plan for hurricane protection. However, it would appear that the benefits derived from our revised plan would justify any additional expenses if this be the case.

\ The Arra:! Engineers' plans, with our proposed revision~, in conjunc~ion with Governor · John McKeithen'~ plans tor.a levee across the Gul.f' Coast line of , should . tor~ver eliminate ~ danger ot hurricane tlooding to the populated areas of Louisiana. Respectfully submitted, •

• I j(ffe'At1[!/M .&:.eMr{J Kenneth J. ieur, Chairman Citizens Committee ~or Hµrricane Flood Control ..... ' :

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J L A K E N T C H A If T H A I N PLAN OF PROTECTION AS PROPOSED BY U.6. ARMY ,I ENGINEERS. /· / t \\ ·ti fl :; f. ·} / ·o "I. I • I / JEF'f'ERSON "'. ,.'. ·PA.RISH PARISH MUlllllCANE STUDT LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN, LA. AtiU 'Y1CINITY 7 ..-· PLANS OF PROTECTION

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~ t. ;I t­ !I 13 \. . ; ,--~:Z:~~m:=:::::o::E FLOOD CONTROL PLANiS .. NEW ORLEANS AREA *****"I*********** . •1n Eliminate Seabrook Locks, Replace with Gates "B .. C .. nn New Nloodgates. . •E• Construct.new!30 ft. levee. · "F~ Raise New Orlqans East Levee. •Gn Raise Chalmet~e Levee. · 11Hn Eliminate two drailJage structures. ( New Levee ~ Ql/llQiJZO New ~lo~dgate~ .. ® . •.; '•.' ... .: ~·

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