MEDIA CONTACT: Alex Guillory, PE, CFM
Bluewing Civil Consulting, LLC
Phone: 337.419.0911
Email: alex@bluewingcivil.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 9, 2020
Vermilion Soil & Water Conservation District Begins Environmental Assessment
Phase of Project to Address Flooding of Lower Vermilion River Basin
(Abbeville, La.) – Vermilion Soil & Water Conservation District (VSWCD), the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, along with other federal, state, regional and local partners, have begun the Environmental Assessment of a proposed Watershed Plan to address the ongoing flooding and hydrologic restoration of the Lower Vermilion River Watershed.
The purpose of developing a Watershed Plan for the Lower Vermilion River Basin is to study and identify solutions to mitigate and reduce saline storm surge and other flood damage to farms, homes, and businesses, while also enhancing public safety and improving overall water quality and preserving wetland habitat in the area.
Saline storm surge and annual flooding has devastated low-lying areas of Vermilion Parish over the past decades. This damage has negatively impacted farmers, residents and business owners, as well as diminished the potential for future land use and reinvestment in the area. As a result, VSWCD and other stakeholders have identified four potential hydrologic restoration Alternatives to mitigate annual flooding and help to reestablish public safety, productive farmland, viable wetlands and overall water quality in the area.
“Through the watershed protection and flood program the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is able to partner with state and local government, along with private entities to further conservation efforts in designated watershed areas.” said Britt Paul, NRCS Assistant State Conservationist for Water Resources, “We are looking forward to partnering with all of the agencies involved in this project to improve the Lower Vermillion River Basin.”
The Alternatives will be subjected to an Environmental Assessment process to document and evaluate the environmental, cultural and economic impacts of each option. Over the next 18 months, the public will be invited to provide input on the preliminary Watershed Plan and Environmental Assessment of studied Alternatives. VSWCD has selected Bluewing Civil Consulting, LLC as its consulting partner to lead this process. Visit http://www.lvrwp.com for more information.
This Watershed Planning effort is funded by the NRCS Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Program (PL-566). The Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Program authorizes the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service to help local organizations and units of government plan and implement watershed projects.The Vermilion Soil & Water Conservation District is the local unit of the Louisiana State Government established to identify, prioritize and address local natural resources conservation needs and concerns within Vermilion Parish.