Gulf Intracoastal Waterway West Closure Complex
Encyclopedia
The Gulf Intracoastal Waterway West Closure Complex is a part of the New Orleans Drainage System
; it will consist of a navigable floodgate
, a pumping station
, floodwalls, sluice gates, foreshore protection, and an earthen levee
. The complex was designed to reduce risk for residence
s and business
es in the project area from a storm surge
associated with a tropical event with an intensity that has a 1 percent chance of occurring in any given year. This project is scheduled to be hurricane ready by June 1, 2011, and completely finished in late 2012.
. The location is next to the to the Environmental Protection Agency’s Bayou aux Carpes Clean Water Act
(CWA) 404(c) area, a wetland
area of national significance.
, a pumping station
, floodwalls, sluice gates, foreshore protection, and an earthen levee
. The project also required the dredging of Algiers Canal, as well as the realignment of Bayou Road. Project challenges consist of maintaining navigation traffic on the GIWW (a Federal navigation channel with heavy commercial barge traffic) and the location of the complex in relationship to the Environmental Protection Agency’s Bayou aux Carpes Clean Water Act
(CWA) 404(c) area, a wetland
area of national significance.
The GIWW West Closure Complex will reduce the risk to a large area of the west bank by removing over 25 miles (40.2 km) of levees, floodwalls, a floodgate, and pumping stations along the Harvey and Algiers canals from the direct impacts of storm surge. The risk reduction surge barrier
will be completed by hurricane season
of 2011 with reduced pumping capacity. All project construction is scheduled for completion in late 2012.
On 17 April 2009, the Corps awarded the base portion of the Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) contract to Gulf Intracoastal Constructors for pile load testing and pre-construction services. The ECI contracting method (also known as Construction Management at Risk in private industry) allows the construction contractor to work hand-in-hand with the Corps and the design team on plan revisions and construction sequencing that will improve the constructability and cost-savings of the project. Several more construction options have been awarded since April. Construction of this risk reduction
features began 6 August 2009.
On 6 & 10 March 2011, installation of the 653 ton ea. sector gates were completed.
Drainage in New Orleans
Drainage in New Orleans, Louisiana has been a major concern since the founding of the city in the early 18th century, remaining an important factor in the history of New Orleans through today....
; it will consist of a navigable floodgate
Floodgate
Floodgates are adjustable gates used to control water flow in flood barriers, reservoir, river, stream, or levee systems. They may be designed to set spillway crest heights in dams, to adjust flow rates in sluices and canals, or they may be designed to stop water flow entirely as part of a levee or...
, a pumping station
Pumping station
Pumping stations are facilities including pumps and equipment for pumping fluids from one place to another. They are used for a variety of infrastructure systems, such as the supply of water to canals, the drainage of low-lying land, and the removal of sewage to processing sites.A pumping station...
, floodwalls, sluice gates, foreshore protection, and an earthen levee
Levee
A levee, levée, dike , embankment, floodbank or stopbank is an elongated naturally occurring ridge or artificially constructed fill or wall, which regulates water levels...
. The complex was designed to reduce risk for residence
Residence
The term residence may refer to:* House* Home* Nursing home* Residence in English family law, pertaining to where children should live in the case of disputes* Habitual residence, a civil law term dealing with the status of refugees, and child abduction...
s and business
Business
A business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
es in the project area from a storm surge
Storm surge
A storm surge is an offshore rise of water associated with a low pressure weather system, typically tropical cyclones and strong extratropical cyclones. Storm surges are caused primarily by high winds pushing on the ocean's surface. The wind causes the water to pile up higher than the ordinary sea...
associated with a tropical event with an intensity that has a 1 percent chance of occurring in any given year. This project is scheduled to be hurricane ready by June 1, 2011, and completely finished in late 2012.
Location
The project is located approximately one half mile south of the confluence of the Harvey and Algiers canals on the Gulf Intracoastal WaterwayGulf Intracoastal Waterway
The Gulf Intracoastal Waterway is the portion of the Intracoastal Waterway located along the Gulf Coast of the United States. It is a navigable inland waterway running approximately 1700 kilometers from Carrabelle, Florida, to Brownsville, Texas.The waterway provides a channel with a controlling...
. The location is next to the to the Environmental Protection Agency’s Bayou aux Carpes Clean Water Act
Clean Water Act
The Clean Water Act is the primary federal law in the United States governing water pollution. Commonly abbreviated as the CWA, the act established the goals of eliminating releases of high amounts of toxic substances into water, eliminating additional water pollution by 1985, and ensuring that...
(CWA) 404(c) area, a wetland
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
area of national significance.
Features
The GIWW West Closure Complex consists of a navigable floodgateFloodgate
Floodgates are adjustable gates used to control water flow in flood barriers, reservoir, river, stream, or levee systems. They may be designed to set spillway crest heights in dams, to adjust flow rates in sluices and canals, or they may be designed to stop water flow entirely as part of a levee or...
, a pumping station
Pumping station
Pumping stations are facilities including pumps and equipment for pumping fluids from one place to another. They are used for a variety of infrastructure systems, such as the supply of water to canals, the drainage of low-lying land, and the removal of sewage to processing sites.A pumping station...
, floodwalls, sluice gates, foreshore protection, and an earthen levee
Levee
A levee, levée, dike , embankment, floodbank or stopbank is an elongated naturally occurring ridge or artificially constructed fill or wall, which regulates water levels...
. The project also required the dredging of Algiers Canal, as well as the realignment of Bayou Road. Project challenges consist of maintaining navigation traffic on the GIWW (a Federal navigation channel with heavy commercial barge traffic) and the location of the complex in relationship to the Environmental Protection Agency’s Bayou aux Carpes Clean Water Act
Clean Water Act
The Clean Water Act is the primary federal law in the United States governing water pollution. Commonly abbreviated as the CWA, the act established the goals of eliminating releases of high amounts of toxic substances into water, eliminating additional water pollution by 1985, and ensuring that...
(CWA) 404(c) area, a wetland
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
area of national significance.
- A 225 feet (68.6 m) navigable floodgate
- When the gate is closed during a storm event, the 19,426 cubic feet per second (cfs) (551 m³/s) 11 bay pump station is required to evacuate the rainwater that is pumped into the Harvey and Algiers canals by 9 other pump stations along the canals.
- The pump station complex consists of 11 ea. 5444 horsepower Catapillar engines, and is the largest of its type in the world.
- To minimize environmental impacts to the Bayou aux Carpes 404(c) area, the floodwall will be constructed on the eastern edge of the wetlands, within 100 feet (30.5 m) from the western bank of the GIWW for a 4216 feet (1,285 m). The floodwall starts north of the pump station and gate structure with a water control structure across the Old Estelle Outfall Canal, and extends southward along the eastern edge of the Bayou aux Carpes 404(c) area. A canal closure wall connects the floodwall and navigable floodgate on the GIWW. A protective bermBermA berm is a level space, shelf, or raised barrier separating two areas. Berm originates in the Middle Dutch and German berme and came into usage in English via French.- History :...
will be constructed on the channel side of the floodwall to protect it from barge impacts. Foreshore protection will be constructed along the GIWW, adjacent to, but not within, the Bayou aux Carpes CWA Section 404(c) area and along the new earthen levee to prevent impacts due to discharges from the pump station. - A new earthen leveeLeveeA levee, levée, dike , embankment, floodbank or stopbank is an elongated naturally occurring ridge or artificially constructed fill or wall, which regulates water levels...
has been be constructed east of the closure complex and ties into the existing levees. - Bayou Road has been realigned to provide access around the new levee on the protected side.
- Dredging of the Algiers Canal has been competed from the Belle Chasse TunnelBelle Chasse TunnelThe Belle Chasse Tunnel was built starting in March 1954 to accommodate the new branch of the Intracoastal Canal. After nearly two years of construction, the $2,436,000 structure opened in February 1956 with the Canal beginning operations later that year. The politicians in Plaquemines Parish...
south to the confluence of the Harvey and Algiers canals, a distance of approximately 4.8 miles (7.7 km). Approximately 700,000 cubic yards of material has been excavated from the Algiers Canal. Consequently, the dredged material was used beneficially in a marsh restoration project in the Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and PreserveJean Lafitte National Historical Park and PreserveJean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve protects significant examples of the rich natural and cultural resources of Louisiana's Mississippi River Delta region. The park, named after Jean Lafitte, seeks to illustrate the influence of environment and history on the development of a unique...
(JLNHPP) or placed in borrow sites near Walker Road.
The GIWW West Closure Complex will reduce the risk to a large area of the west bank by removing over 25 miles (40.2 km) of levees, floodwalls, a floodgate, and pumping stations along the Harvey and Algiers canals from the direct impacts of storm surge. The risk reduction surge barrier
Flood barrier
A flood barrier, surge barrier of storm surge barrier is a specific type of floodgate, designed to prevent a storm surge or spring tide from flooding the protected area behind the barrier...
will be completed by hurricane season
Hurricane season
Hurricane season refers to a period in a year when hurricanes usually form. For more information see: Tropical cyclone#Times.* The Atlantic hurricane seasonFor a lists of past seasons, see:...
of 2011 with reduced pumping capacity. All project construction is scheduled for completion in late 2012.
Status
Final approval of the Individual Environmental Report #12 for the GIWW West Closure Complex was completed 18 February 2009. On 28 May 09, the Environmental Protection Agency granted the US Army Corps of Engineers permission to modify the Bayou aux Carpes 1985 determination to allow for construction on the western-most boundary of the wetland area. The Corps held a joint public hearing with the EPA to address all questions and concerns regarding the request for modification of the Bayou Aux Carpes 404(c) area.On 17 April 2009, the Corps awarded the base portion of the Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) contract to Gulf Intracoastal Constructors for pile load testing and pre-construction services. The ECI contracting method (also known as Construction Management at Risk in private industry) allows the construction contractor to work hand-in-hand with the Corps and the design team on plan revisions and construction sequencing that will improve the constructability and cost-savings of the project. Several more construction options have been awarded since April. Construction of this risk reduction
Risk reduction
Risk reduction may refer to:* Absolute risk reduction or Relative risk reduction, statistical descriptors of an intervention.* Risk management* Safety Integrity Level* Hedge...
features began 6 August 2009.
On 6 & 10 March 2011, installation of the 653 ton ea. sector gates were completed.
Sources
- NOLA.com, Retrieved 2010-07-26
- Engineering News Record Web Site, Retrieved 2010-07-26
- US Army Corps of Engineers Web Site, Retrieved 2010-07-26
- Pop Sci Web Site, Retrieved 2010-07-26
- Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority West Web Site, Retrieved 2010-07-26