Tightrope in Houma: Balancing Competing Needs for a Deepened Channel

Given the state of Louisiana's rapidly eroding coastline, developing a plan to deepen any channel in coastal Louisiana is a challenging proposition. National economic benefits must be significant, and the environmental damage must be minimal. The US Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District has undertaken a study to determine the feasibility of deepening the Houma Navigation Canal in Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana, meeting the goals of both foci. The location of Houma, with its access to and support of the Gulf of Mexico petroleum industry, requires the use of unique tools to address the economic, environmental, and engineering aspects of the planning process. The product delivery team worked with local, state and federal agencies but was constrained by institutional limitations. Nevertheless, the team developed a plan that combined ecosystem restoration and the reduction of saltwater intrusion into marshes, with the economic benefit of deepening the channel. This presentation discusses the Federal Standard, the Coastal Zone Consistency Determination, model certification and the review process for assessing engineering, environmental and economic inputs to the plan. More importantly, however, the presentation details the manner in which the product delivery team walked a tightrope stretched among competing needs—maximizing both the economic benefit and the environmental beneficial use of the construction material while also minimizing the impacts of the deepening.