Orleans Levee Board

Orleans Levee Board
Name	Orleans Levee Board
Formation	1890
Type	Public agency
Headquarters	New Orleans, Louisiana
Region served	Orleans Parish

Orleans Levee Board

The Orleans Levee Board was a public levee district responsible for flood control and levee maintenance in Orleans Parish and the City of New Orleans. Established in the late 19th century, it played a central role in planning, constructing, and financing flood protection works along the Mississippi River, Lake Pontchartrain, and adjacent canals and waterways. The board interacted with municipal entities such as the New Orleans Police Department, regional bodies like the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority, and federal agencies including the United States Army Corps of Engineers.

History

The board traces origins to 1890 when levee districts and river-control entities proliferated following major navigation and flood events along the Mississippi River Delta. During the Progressive Era, the board coordinated with the Mississippi River Commission and rail interests such as the Illinois Central Railroad to align levee heights with commercial navigation goals. In the 20th century, the board participated in New Deal programs administered by the Tennessee Valley Authority model advocates and coordinated with the Works Progress Administration for infrastructure work. The board's institutional evolution reflected shifting jurisprudence from decisions by the Louisiana Supreme Court to statutory reform by the Louisiana Legislature. In the 1990s and 2000s, the board engaged with environmental stakeholders like the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation and academic partners at Tulane University and the University of New Orleans on coastal restoration and urban resilience projects.

Organization and Responsibilities

The board was governed by elected levee commissioners who acted within statutory authority derived from state law enacted in the capitol at Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Its responsibilities included inspection, maintenance, and emergency repair of levees adjacent to urban canals such as the 17th Street Canal, the London Avenue Canal, and the Orleans Canal. The board coordinated pump stations and drainage infrastructure with the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans and interoperated with emergency management agencies including FEMA and the Louisiana Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness. The board also managed real property, issued bonds in the municipal markets under oversight from the Louisiana Department of Revenue and local fiscal authorities, and contracted engineering work with firms experienced in coastal engineering and geotechnical studies.

Flood Protection Infrastructure

Projects overseen or financed by the board included revetments, floodwalls, floodgates, and tie-in systems connecting to navigational structures such as the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal and the Industrial Canal. The board participated in the design and upkeep of sheet pile walls, levee crowns, and drainage outfalls that interfaced with the Bonnet Carré Spillway and the Hurricane Protection System components later integrated into the Greater New Orleans Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction System. Engineering collaborations involved federal partners like the USACE New Orleans District and private firms that had previously worked on projects commissioned by entities such as the Port of New Orleans and the Army Corps of Engineers for marsh creation and sediment diversion.

Role in Hurricane Katrina and Aftermath

When Hurricane Katrina made landfall in 2005, breaches occurred at locations tied to systems under the board’s purview, notably the 17th Street Canal breach and breaches on the London Avenue Canal. Post-storm investigations included technical reviews by the American Society of Civil Engineers, federal inquiries by the National Academy of Sciences and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and criminal and civil investigations led by the United States Department of Justice and the Jefferson Parish and Orleans Parish district attorney offices. Recovery funding streams involved interactions with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and Congressional appropriations, and reconstruction planning entailed coordination with the Louisiana Recovery Authority and redevelopment plans linked with Lower Ninth Ward and other impacted neighborhoods.

Funding and Legal Authority

The board financed capital projects through tax levies authorized by the Louisiana Legislature, municipal bond issues placed in the municipal bond market, and allocations of state and federal disaster assistance, often requiring compliance with statutes administered in Baton Rouge and rules from agencies such as the Internal Revenue Service for tax-exempt financing. Legal authority derived from enabling acts and parish-level ordinances adjudicated in state courts including the Louisiana Supreme Court. Post-Katrina restructuring redistributed responsibilities to regional levee entities and authorities created under reform statutes championed by the Louisiana Governor and the United States Congress.

Controversies and Investigations

The board was subject to scrutiny over maintenance practices, design decisions, and contracting procedures prior to and after Hurricane Katrina. High-profile investigations examined engineering assessments involving firms retained by the board and examined procurement linked to projects that also involved the Army Corps of Engineers and private contractors. Legal proceedings included civil litigation by homeowners and municipal plaintiffs in federal courts such as the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana and criminal inquiries by state prosecutors and the United States Attorney's office. Debates over accountability involved stakeholders including elected officials from New Orleans City Council, advocacy groups like the Sierra Club and American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana, and academic reviewers from Louisiana State University and other research institutions.

Category:Organizations based in New Orleans