Lafayette Parish, Louisiana Flood Control: Reconnaissance Report, June 1995

Abstract: This report presents the findings· of a reconnaissance-level investigation of rainfall flooding associated with storm water runoff and high river stages along the Vermilion River in Lafayette Parish, Louisiana. The study was conducted as an interim study under the Mermentau, Vermilion, and Calcasieu Rivers and Bayou Teche, Louisiana study authority. The parent study was authorized by the Flood Control Act of 1944; the River and Harbor Act of 1945; and four separate resolutions of the Committee on Public Works of the United States House of Representatives adopted in 1964, 1966, 1968,and 1970.

The study area is located in southern Louisiana and encompasses all of Lafayette Parish. The urban flood control study efforts concentrated on problem areas identified by the study team using input from Parish officials, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) repetitive damage data, and historical flooding information.

The reconnaissance study investigated potential solutions to prevent flooding in Lafayette Parish caused by heavy rainfall and high stages on the Vermilion River. Impacts on adjacent parishes, as a result of proposed solutions, were considered. Alternative measures that were evaluated during this study
include: diversion of flood waters; retention/ detention basins; channel modifications; removal of channel obstructions; levees and pump stations; flood control structures; and other non-structural alternatives. Existing computer models developed by the United States Army Corps of Engineers
(USACE), previous hydraulic computer output, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) flood insurance studies and prior flood studies of the study area, and historical flood records were utilized to establish existing conditions.

Two structural alternatives and non-structural measures (flood proofing) were determined economically and environmentally feasible to reduce the magnitude of flood damages in Lafayette Parish. The identification of feasible plans warrant proceeding to the feasibility phase of the study.

Citation: US Army Corps of Engineers New Orleans District (1995) Lafayette Parish, Louisiana Flood Control: Reconnaissance Report. June 1995, 256 pages.

URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/16qOFbK7NpTFj6PzLPObfapsIBiSDy6c6/view