New Orleans Levee Board

New Orleans Levee Board
Name	New Orleans Levee Board
Formation	1890s
Dissolved	2006 (functions transferred)
Type	Public levee board
Headquarters	New Orleans, Louisiana
Location	New Orleans, Louisiana
Region served	Saint Bernard Parish, Jefferson Parish, Plaquemines Parish, Orleans Parish
Leader title	President
Leader name	(various)

Contents

New Orleans Levee Board was the public agency historically responsible for levee construction, maintenance, and flood protection around New Orleans and adjacent parishes. It operated within the context of federal agencies such as the United States Army Corps of Engineers and state entities including the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, coordinating with municipal authorities like the City of New Orleans and regional bodies such as the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority. The board's activities intersected with national programs including the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

History

The board emerged in the late 19th century amid debates involving Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville-era settlement issues, the Louisiana Purchase, and nineteenth-century infrastructure responses to flooding on the Mississippi River. Early institutional development paralleled work by the United States Army Corps of Topographical Engineers and later the United States Army Corps of Engineers, while contemporaneous civic actors included the New Orleans Board of Trade and the City Council of New Orleans. Through the Progressive Era the board coordinated with engineers trained at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the United States Military Academy, adopting standards influenced by publications from the American Society of Civil Engineers. Major events that shaped policy included floods connected to the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927, the creation of the Flood Control Act of 1928, the implementation of the Mississippi River and Tributaries Project, and later federal statutes such as the Water Resources Development Act of 1976.

Governance structures involved elected and appointed officials drawn from parishes and municipal bodies including the New Orleans City Council, Orleans Parish School Board, and parochial governments like the Jefferson Parish Council. Interaction occurred with state actors such as the Governor of Louisiana and legislative committees in the Louisiana State Legislature. Administrative oversight encompassed collaboration with professional groups like the American Public Works Association and legal review by firms appearing before the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. Labor relations touched unions like the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees in maintenance roles, while budgetary coordination required engagement with the United States Department of the Treasury and municipal finance bodies including the New Orleans Finance Department.

The levee network comprised earthen levees, floodwalls, pumping stations, and drainage canals connecting to the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet and the Industrial Canal. Key structures interfaced with projects by the United States Army Corps of Engineers such as the Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction System and anchors near landmarks like the Port of New Orleans. Engineering practices drew upon research from institutions such as Louisiana State University, Tulane University, and professional guidance from the National Research Council. The system’s hydrology related to the Mississippi River Delta, Lake Pontchartrain, and wetlands restoration efforts under programs like the Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act.

Operational activity included construction and maintenance programs executed in coordination with agencies including the Environmental Protection Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the National Weather Service. Major projects connected with federal funding streams such as those from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers New Orleans District and legislative instruments including the Water Resources Development Act. The board contracted engineering firms and construction companies noted in regional procurement records, and projects often intersected with environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act and species protections involving the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.

Levee performance during Hurricane Katrina became a focal point for investigations by entities such as the American Society of Civil Engineers, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the Congressional Research Service. Flooding in neighborhoods like the Lower Ninth Ward and along the Industrial Canal prompted litigation in the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and policy reviews by the Louisiana Recovery Authority. Post-Katrina organizational reforms led to the establishment of bodies including the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation partnerships and the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority North and South, while federal reconstruction funding flowed through programs administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Financing of levee activities involved local revenue instruments, cash flows from the National Flood Insurance Program, and appropriations from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Legal disputes engaged counsel in matters linked to the Tort Claims Act and state statutes adjudicated in courts including the Louisiana Supreme Court. Legislative oversight came from subcommittees of the United States House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the United States Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. Funding debates intersected with insurance markets centered in New York City and regulatory frameworks shaped by the Federal Insurance Office.

Public scrutiny and civic participation involved advocacy by groups such as the Common Ground Relief, the Greater New Orleans, Inc., and environmental NGOs including the National Audubon Society and the Sierra Club Louisiana chapter. Media coverage by outlets including the Times-Picayune, The New York Times, and broadcasts from National Public Radio raised issues later reviewed by academic centers at Tulane University School of Law and policy institutes such as the Brookings Institution. Oversight mechanisms included state audits by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor and congressional hearings in the United States House of Representatives.

Category:New Orleans Category:Levee boards in the United States