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Livingston Parish makes progress on drainage improvement projects

3 years 5 months 2 weeks ago Friday, October 09 2020 Oct 9, 2020 October 09, 2020 7:34 PM October 09, 2020 in News
Source: WBRZ

LIVINGSTON - The Amite River is already rising in Livingston Parish as Hurricane Delta makes landfall.

Crews have worked to clear debris from ditches and waterways hoping to help drain those heavy downpours.

"When you hear a hurricane like Delta is coming you start preparing for it. If these waterways are clean like we want them to be cleaned, and these other projects are completed really it's just a matter of hopefully reducing the amount of water people take in their homes," Parish-President Layton Ricks said.

Ricks says since the 2016 flood, the parish has completed major drainage improvement projects and they plan to complete even more.

"What we're doing is working on some projects now that will hopefully widen and clean, and hopefully get rid of a lot of this silt so that the water can flow freer through there. But, it's also going to require some work downstream," Ricks said.

Even with drainage improvements and consistent heavy rain, Ricks says the parish can only do so much.

"One of the issues is there has been so much development in our parish, so water has to go somewhere quicker now. That's why it's important that we get the funding for these projects that we're wanting to do and get those projects done."

Ricks says Hurricane Delta may not leave Livingston in the clear, but he hopes these drainage projects will bring some relief.

The parish will continue to monitor water levels throughout the weekend to make decisions on whether or not to close waterways.

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