Iberia Parish Levee, Hurricane, and Conservation District Master Plan Enhancements
Iberia Parish, Louisiana
Iberia Parish Government
Project Overview
Historically, businesses, residences, and roadways in Iberia Parish experienced rainfall-induced flooding which was exacerbated by high tide events that frequently occur during times of sustained southerly winds. To address these types of issues and improve the parish’s overall protection from flood and hurricane impacts, the Iberia Parish Levee, Hurricane, and Conservation District Master Plan was revised to provide a clear vision forward by detailing relevant protection projects, identifying implementation phases, and laying out a plan to leverage available funds. Since the Master Plan update, Iberia Parish has made on-the-ground progress and is closer to achieving its goal.
Project Work and Royal Solutions
In under 18 months, Royal completed the first phase of this effort and developed a comprehensive plan for the Iberia Parish Levee, Hurricane, & Conservation District intended to replace the existing version and enhance the parish’s protection from flood and hurricane impacts. The Royal team needed to work outside the box and consider not only compounding factors that caused flooding, but also priority needs of the parish, funding limitations, and alignment with the state’s restoration goals, other planning efforts, and stakeholder interests to create a relevant, holistic, and implementable path forward.
Royal used newly acquired information to revise outdated project concepts, including a new alignment for a 26-mile earthen levee. Owing to decades of experience with similar planning efforts, we know funding is often the limiting factor for moving projects forward. To maximize utility of the Master Plan, we created a logical and attainable phased approach to guide project implementation, clearly defined the scope of each phase, and estimated its probable cost. We went a step further to identify the most beneficial sequence for construction and detailed a preliminary implementation schedule centered around funding sources, geography, and all related work. Again, owing to our in-depth understanding of common challenges faced when moving from planning to implementation, we prioritized the parish’s needs, identified associated permitting requirements, and pinpointed potential funding sources. Our team went above and beyond to research eligibility requirements and steps needed to acquire funding, and we used this to develop a strategy to fund project implementation.
Our team understands the importance for any plan to be aligned with other, potentially larger plans, not only to avoid conflicts but also to identify opportunities that can be leveraged. With decades of working knowledge and familiarity with other efforts in the area, we ensured the phased implementation plan was consistent with the South Central Coast Feasibility Study and other relevant efforts, and we facilitated meetings with federal, state, and local agencies and stakeholders to identify roles, responsibilities, and requirements across groups and initiatives. In close coordination with the parish, our team led public meetings, prepared and distributed technical information, and incorporated public comments into the final version of the Master Plan.
Owing to the astute technical ability and diligence our team exhibited while developing the Master Plan, Iberia Parish has awarded additional phases of work to Royal. The Royal team is under contract to design seven water control structures identified in the Master Plan. The dual-purpose structures are part of the larger protection system and are intended to combat high tide events, improve storage capacity in Peebles Coulee and both Rodere and Jefferson canals, and allow rainfall runoff to be directed into the canals and away from populated areas. To date, our team led a site assessment and developed and applied HEC-HMS hydrologic and HEC-RAS hydraulic models to gain a deeper understanding of the watershed, drainage system, and theoretical combinations of tide and rainfall scenarios. Understanding the importance of client engagement and ensuring their familiarity with even minor technical details, our team reviewed the outcomes with the parish before proceeding with engineering and design, completing required permitting, and developing the final design plans, specifications, and construction cost estimates. Iberia Parish expressed that they have been impressed with our team, especially regarding our ability to think critically and creatively and our flexibility to work around unexpected challenges. Construction is complete for one structure, two are currently being constructed, and four are in design. Through combined experience and our ability to cultivate strong working relationships, Royal has provided a wide range of services, from planning to engineering design to construction management, to help Iberia Parish achieve their goal.
