A Key component of Morganza's "Leaky Levee" to Gulf of Mexico Hurricane Protection Plan is to build a LOCK in HNC supposedly to stop storm surges. But the HNC Lock proposal only adds to the Morganza-to-the-Gulf Pork Project, and will destroy Houma to fill the pockets of the oil companies and the "Good Old Boys." The Houma Navigational Channel(HNC) like MR-GO should be closed.
The politicians, Levee District, and Cliford Smith Engineering firms have people convinced that this Lock within the HNC will stop salt water intrusion. But wait a minute, look at the facts. This Lock is proceeding without a Hydrological Planning Model.
There is no system-wide hydraulic model of the Terrebonne basin on which to base either the location, the design, or the operation of the proposed lock within the Houma Navigational Channel(HNC), additionally there is no monitoring included in the project. Indeed this information is in the public response to the proposed lock design in this Corps document. (EIS Scoping document)
A careful reading of this document will show clearly that business and petroleum interests insist that "the project is self-mitigating" (TRANSLATION: they want to skip the federally required environmental assessments and water quality certifications, and they don't want to follow the zero net loss policy and perform proper mitigations); conversely the requisite state and federal agencies point out that "no system-wide hydrological model has been performed" and the impact of the Lock complex may very well severely degrade the wetlands in the project area, worsening flood impacts.
Below is a collection of statements' and highlights from the Corps' EIS Scoping document concerning the proposed HNC Lock project - I urge you to read this document - it is a microcosm of how petroleum and marine transportation interests have been able to pass off ecologically destructive projects on the public in violation of required federal planning process and state coastal management statutes.
From Scientists in Federal & State Agencies:
U.S. Dept. of Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, Ronald Paille - "The HNC Lock and associated structures provide an excellent opportunity to improve freshwater flows, enhance sustainability of adjacent marshes, and achieve added protection and sustainability for area commmunities. On the other hand, if not designed and operated properly, those features could contribute to the rapid demise of affected marshes, leaving the adjacent communities even more vulnerable to storm surges."
U.S. Dept. of Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, Russel C. Watson - "During the Morganza-to-the-Gulf programmatic feasibility study, the Service (FWS) strongly recommended that improved freshwater distribution be made a co-equal project purpose of the Morganza Project to avoid the loss of a critically important wetland conservation and restoration opportunity. Accordingly, the Chief of Engineers Report stated that Morganza-to-the-Gulf Project features 'will be designed and operated to acheive coastal wetland conservation through improved distribution of freshwater inflows to wetlands wherever feasible. The specific designs and operating plans will be formulated in consultation with the interagency habitat evaluation team [HET].'
Despite that assurance, the engineering and design of the HNC Lock and associated Bayou Grand Calliou Floodgate have proceeded well ahead of the system-wide hydrological modeling effort needed to determine what effects those project features might have on regional freshwater inputs from the Atchafalaya River. Due to increasing project cost estimates, some project supporters have recently indicated that any wetland restoration-oriented project components should be funded through wetland restoration programs and not Morganza project funds...
Failure to design and operate those features in an environmentally sustainable manner may, in turn, jeopardize the project's desired storm-protection functions..."
U.S. Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, Miles M. Croom/Richard Hartman, Assistant Regional Administator, Habitat Conservation Division - "...NMFS [NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service] remains convinced that information is needed from system-wide modeling presently under development by the New Orleans District (NOD) to evaluate environmental impacts for various project features prior to the identification of preferred alternatives...
The HNC Lock was authorized for engineering design but funding was not obligated for an evaluation of environmental impacts. As a result, the design of the lock, including the selection of a preferred alternative, has occurred well in advance of initiating and completing a system-wide hydrological model..."
Louisiana Dept. of Natural Resources, Office of Coastal Restoration & Mgmt, Gerald M. Duszynski, acting Asst. Secretary - "The State has expressed its concerns throughout planning and development about MVN's [USACE Miss Valley - New Orleans District] proceeding with engineering and design on the HNC Lock complex without the benefit of a system-wide hydraulic model. Without the benfit of a system-wide hydraulic model, it is impossible to fully evaluate the impact of the HNC Lock Complex on the hydrology of the project area..."
U.S. EPA, Region 6, Rhonda M. Smith, Acting Chief Office of Planning & Coordination - "With the Morganza-to-the-Gulf hurricane protection project in general and the HNC Lock complex in particular, the central issue with respect to coastal restoration efforts is the potential hydrologic effects due to design and operation of the lock and associated structures. In commenting on the programmatic EIS for the Morganza to the Gulf hurricane protection project, we warned of the potential for unintended adverse impacts to coastal wetlands... The key to addressing this issue is developing a system-wide hydraulic model and accurately predicting long-term hydrologic trends, particularly with respect to freshwater flows from the Atchafalaya River.
The HNC Lock is a critical feature with respect to potential hydrologic impacts from the overall Morganza-to-the-Gulf project. Depending on the design and operation of the lock, there is the potential for positive or negative impacts with respect to wetlands and coastal restoration efforts...
An accurate model is essential for such an understanding...
Selecting a preferred alternative for the HNC Lock complex without the benefit of a system-wide hydraulic model would be premature and could lead to unintended adverse impacts to coastal wetlands and restoration efforts. EPA strongly recommends that a preferred alternative for the HNC Lock complex not be selected until adequate system-wide hydraulic modeling has been conducted..."
Louisiana Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries, Dwight Landreneau, Secretary - "Changes in coastal morphology due to the Lock Complex and associated structures operations or designs may exacerbate flooding and infrastructure problems...
All structures, borrow locations, disposal areas, mitigation areas, as well as individual specific features and maps need to be included in the DEIS [Draft Environmental Impact Statement].
The Corps must complete the hydrologic model and the results need to be incorporated into the DEIS before further engineering and design efforts continue...
[hydrology changes of LAR - Lower Atchafalaya River] could have beneficial or detrimental impacts and should be evaluated and included in the model...
A monitoring plan needs to be part of the project plans and included in the DEIS to determine effects that may occur due to changes in hydrology or mitigation actions taken. At a minimum the plan should include water quality, and vegetative and fisheries composition.
The Department is concerned with the large amount of material that will be required to construct the [HNC] Lock and associated structures. Based on other reaches of the Morganza to the Gulf project, lack of quantity and quality material seems to be a recurring problem..."
Reggie Bourg (he lives on Shrimper's Row in Dulac next to the canal and he knows what goes on there) - "Would the floodgates and fresh water diversion actually protect the marsh? A lot of money would be spent on something that is not proven."
Petroleum Industry Interests & Politicians:
South Central Industrial Association - Executive Vice President Kenneth Smith (President of T Baker Smith - this engineering firm is the #1 subcontractor to Terrebonne Conservation and Levee District - and guess who is the Chairman - William Clifford Smith, Bush appointee to the Mississippi River Commission). These are the architects of Morganza and the HNC Lock with their engineering buddies in USACE. No surprise that they're gunning for the biggest lock complex project on the GIWW.... T Baker Smith stands to get up to $100M in enginerring and project management fees!
Ed Watson, Director of Port of Terrebonne - "I think these environmental benefits will equal the environmental liabilities..." and "I certainly hope you would look at a self-mitigating project..."
Roy Francis, Spokesman, Gulf Isand Fabricators - "On behalf of GIS I ask that we expedite this."
Ed Landgraf, Chamber of Commerce, oil industry representative on Terrebonne Parish Coastal Zone Management - "I would just like to advocate we move this project forward in a timely fashion, not belabor the fact of the recent hurricanes."
Simone Theriot Maloz, Director, Restore or Retreat - "We must speed this up. We have to think out of the box."
Terrebonne Parish Consolidated Government, Coastal Restoration and Preservation, Leslie R. Suazo, Director - "1) Expedite the completion of the Environmental Impact Study; 2) Expedite the completion of the Engineering and Design of the Lock Complex; 3) ...that consideration be given to the Lock Complex as a self-mitigating project..."
Houma-Terrebonne Chamber of Commerce, Alexis A. Duval - "All efforts to accelerate the process and building of this project must be taken..."
Clayton Voisin, Councilman District 7 (elected local councilman) - "I would suggest to you that environmental impacts of the lock are more than offset by the environmental benefits of the project."
Now here's some horse sense... All you need is a Terrebonne map and a review of the MRGO/St, Bernard disaster...
The proposed HNC Lock complex is about **fifteen miles**, or half-way up the HNC from its terminus at the Bay of Terrebonne. It is just as likely that the Lock will push water, salt water that charges up the ship channel portion of the lock further east and west into the fragile marsh south of the lock, eventually exposing any proposed levee alignment to Gulf wave action. Only FRESH WATER can keep the salt water out of the fragile lower Terrebonne wetlands eroding. Indeed, a lock does little good against salt water intrusion into the canal portion since its proposed to be operated as little as a few weeks per year.
Freshwater flow eastward from LAR and Wax Lake Outlet through the GIWW needs to get all the way to Bayou Terrebonne, and additionally into Bayou Grand Calliou and Bayou Dularge. For this to happen, the HNC needs additional control structures at its intersection with GIWW - not fifteen miles south.
The situation of Terrebonne-Barataria is all due to unintended consequences. A certainty of the proposed HNC Lock is that it is woefully underestimated in terms of cost to complete. Credible sources say its a $400-500M project - over half the Morganza cost estimate in WRDA is $886M - straight into the oilers', dredgers', contractors' and engineers' pockets. Does this sound familiar? Not much money left for a decent levee much less one properly aligned with the fastlands protecting communities instead of cutting off huge swaths of wetlands with unproven "leaky" levees.
A brief history of unintended consequences - we'll not let this happen again... but we're fighting the same interests over the same issues: