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These pictures are a behind-the-scenes look at the West Closure Complex pumps. Each pump is powered by a 5,400-horsepower diesel engine, and together the 11 pumps can move 19,140 cubic feet of stormwater per second from the Harvey and Algiers canals.
The West Closure Complex is an important feature of the West Bank and Vicinity system that shields over 26 miles of flood protection along the Harvey and Algiers canals from storm surge exposure.
The West Bank Flood Protection Authority wishes everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. We hope you have a joyful holiday with family and friends.
Levee permitting is a critical function of the work we do every day to keep our communities and neighbors safe.
We work with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority to review all construction work performed within 1,500 feet of the Mississippi River Levee (MRL) and within 300 feet of the Hurricane Protection Levees (HPL).
These reviews ensure no project harms the integrity of the levees or the system that protects the West Bank.
The ASCE Louisiana Section recently released its Infrastructure Report Card, with our Regional Director Jesse Noel, PE, leading the development of the Levees section.
While Louisiana's statewide infrastructure received a C grade, the report underscores the progress already made. It highlights the opportunity for continued investment to strengthen flood protection, especially in the coastal zone. The New Orleans area, and in particular the West Bank, has the best flood protection in its history and is well positioned for a 100-year storm event.
The Bayou Segnette Sector Gate can close in as little as 5 minutes in preparation for a storm. Standing at 25 feet tall and 56 feet wide, this gate closes off storm surge from Bayou Segnette, pumping water out of the Company Canal Basin and protecting the residents from Westwego to Marrero and Harvey from flooding.
The progress on the seepage cutoff wall in the Mississippi River Levee in Marrero is coming along nicely. Sheet piling work is over halfway complete and embankment placement has begun.
Once completed, this project will prevent water from seeping through the levee during high river events.
