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APPROPRIATION TITLE:

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Construction

Construction General Local Protection (Flood Control)
PROJECT: Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana, and Vicinity (Hurricane Protection) (Continuing)

LOCATION: The project is located in St. Charles, Jefferson, Orleans, St. Bernard, and St. Tammany Parishes in southeast
Louisiana in the general vicinity of New Orleans adjacent to Lake Pontchartrain.

DESCRIPTION: The recommended plan consists of a new levee north of US HWY 61, from the Jefferson-St. Charles Parish
boundary to the east Bonnet Carré Spillway guide levee; a new levee along the Jefferson Parish lake front; an enlarged New
Orleans lake front levee landward of the seawall; a new and enlarged levee and concrete-capped sheet pile wall along both
sides of the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal (IHNC); a new levee and floodwall along the lake front from the airport to South
Point; an enlarged levee from South Point to the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW); an enlarged levee and new floodwall
along the north of the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet (MR-GO) and GIWW from the IHNC to the barrier; a new levee in the
Chalmette area from the IHNC levee along the south bank of the MR-GO to approximately 2-1/2 miles northwest of Verret and
west to the Mississippi River levee near Caernavon; a strengthened Mandeville seawall on the north shore at present height;
and a new pumping station and vertical lift gates for the Florida Avenue Complex. The only unscheduled part of the project
is the strengthening of the Mandeville seawall.

AUTHORIZATION: Flood Control Act of 1965; Water Resources Development Acts of 1974, 1986 and 1990; and FY 1992 Energy and
Water Development Appropriations Act.

REMAINING BENEFIT TO REMAINING COST RATIO: 5.4 to 1 at 3-1/8 percent.

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Benefits are from the latest available evaluation dated December 1982 at 1981 price levels.

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'Completion schedule indefinite until financial support is furnished by local interests.

2 Excludes Mandeville Unit which has an indefinite completion date.

'Reflects $3,196,000 reduction assigned as savings and slippages and $8,193,000 reprogrammed from the project. Lower Mississippi Valley Division

New Orleans District

29 JAN 1992

Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana, and Vicinity (Hurricane Protection) 63

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JUSTIFICATION: The lowlands in the Lake Pontchartrain tidal basin are subject to tidal overflow. The Greater New Orleans
Metropolitan Area which lies in this basin will continue its rapid economic development in the future years even though
severe damages have resulted from several hurricanes in the past years. Hurricane damages result from surges entering Lake
Pontchartrain from Lake Borgne through natural tidal passes at the Rigolets and Chef Menteur Passes and the Inner Harbor
Navigation Canal. The surges are intensified by local wind effects and the combination of waves and surges causing
overtopping of the pre project protective works along the shores of Lake Pontchartrain. The eastern portion of the area
is also subject to flooding by surges and waves that move directly from Lake Borgne and overtop the then existing inadequate
protective system seaward of the developed land areas. As a result, residences and industrial and commercial establishments
suffer damage, business activities are disrupted, lives are endangered, and hazards to health are created. Hurricanes much
more severe than any of record are possible. In the event of the occurrence of such a severe hurricane, catastrophic
property damage and loss of human life would be experienced. Local interests have requested protection against these
threats to life and property. Hurricane Betsy, in September 1965, caused extensive damage and flooding of urban areas of
the New Orleans area to depths of up to 10 feet. Hurricane Camille occurred in the project area in August 1969, and flooded
areas along the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal. Extensive flooding and overtopping of levees would have occurred in the
project area in September 1974, if Hurricane Carmen had continued on its predicted course. In 1985, Hurricane Juan caused
extensive flooding in the St. Charles Parish area. The Lake Pontchartrain hurricane protection project will provide
protection from similar occurrences. The project will provide protection against flooding from the Standard Project
Hurricane (SPH) The average annual benefits, all flood control, are $179,856,000, based on 1 October 1981 prices.
FISCAL YEAR 1993: The requested amount will be applied as follows:

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Complete:

Levee N. of Airline Hwy Reach IIA, Sand Fill

1st Enlargement 354-435 Reach 4

Floodwalls at I-10 and Station 0 to 9+00

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800,000

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$11,607,000

NON-FEDERAL COST: In accordance with the cost sharing and financing concepts reflected in the Flood Control Act of 1965, the non-Federal sponsors must comply with the requirements listed below:

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Annual
Operation,
Maintenance,

and

Requirements of Local Cooperation

Provide lands, easements, and right-of-ways, including borrow areas and spoil
disposal areas.
Accomplish alternations to roads, pipelines, cables, wharves, oil wells, and any
other facilities necessary for construction of the project.

Bear 30 percent of the total project cost, including the items listed above and
a cash contribution or equivalent work specifically undertaken as an integral
part of the project after authorization and in accordance with construction
schedules as required by the Chief of Engineers, excluding a reimbursement to
the Federal Government for costs allocated pursuant to the Water Resources
Development Act of 1974.

Reimburse the Federal Government for costs allocated pursuant to the Water
Resources Development Act of 1974.

Bear all costs of operations, maintenance, and replacements of all features of the
project works.

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Replacement
Costs

$197,000,000

$928,000
$928,000

Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana, and
Vicinity (Hurricane Protection)
65

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In addition, local interests, through the combined efforts of the State of Louisiana, local levee and drainage districts, and parish police juries, have spent an estimated $25,366,000 between 1930-1963, based on the best cost records available, to improve and maintain the hurricane protection system existing prior to project authorization. Available costs of record are as follows:

Combination of State of Louisiana and Lake Borgne Levee District and Chalmette

Back Levee District on the Chalmette Back Levee Protection Systems
Orleans Levee District

Port of New Orleans (levees along Industrial Canal)

Pontchartrain Levee District

Fourth Drainage District of Jefferson Parish

Total

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A very severe hurricane, "Betsy," occurred in the project area in September 1965, just prior to the authorization of the project in October 1965. Considerable damage was done to many of the existing levees, and local interests immediately instituted an accelerated rehabilitation program, with the view of restoring and strengthening existing protection prior to succeeding hurricane seasons. Any work performed by the non-federal after project authorization, that conforms to the project design criteria and alignment, is considered as work-in-kind in lieu of a cash contribution.

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Assurances are required for the two independently justified plans.

a. Orleans Levee District: New agreements of assurances covering all local cooperation requirements and a deferred payment plan as authorized by the Water Resources Development Act of 1974 were executed on 30 March 1976. These assurances were accepted on behalf of the United States on 7 December 1977.

b. St. Bernard Parish Police Jury and Lake Borgne Basin Levee District: New joint agreements of assurances covering all local cooperation requirements and a deferred payment plan as authorized by the Water Resources Development Act of 1974, were executed on 2 April 1976. These assurances were accepted on behalf of the United States on 7 December 1977.

2.

High Level Plan:

a. Orleans Levee District: For the Barrier Plan, new agreements of assurances covering all local cooperation requirements and a deferred payment plan as authorized by the Water Resources Development Act of 1974, were executed on 30 March 1976. These assurances were accepted on behalf of the United States on 7 December 1977. Amended assurances for the High Level Plan were executed by the local sponsor on 29 May 1985, and accepted by the United States on 21 June 1985.

b. St. Tammany Parish: The Louisiana Office of Public Works executed an act of assurance dated 8 November 1976, agreeing to fulfill all local cooperation requirements for that portion of the project in St. Tammany Parish. These assurances were accepted on behalf of the United States on 7 December 1977. Amended assurances for the High Level Plan are required; however, due to failure of the local sponsor to agree to the items of local cooperation, this portion of the project has an indefinite completion date.

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