By ROBIN SHANNON

L’Observateur

LUTCHER – Old Man River has relented and the stage is now set for a River Parishes holiday tradition to continue.

After prohibiting construction on the levees because of an unseasonably high Mississippi River, officials with the Army Corps of Engineers and Pontchartrain Levee District said Thursday the assembly of Christmas Eve bonfires is allowed to resume.

The river, which had registered water levels higher than the 11-foot benchmark for construction activities, had delayed work on the bonfires while officials from the corps performed monitoring along the levee. The river has since dropped below 11 feet and is continuing to fall.

Steve Wilson, president of the Pontchartrain Levee District, said the corps was concerned that the construction, which includes digging 2-foot holes into the top of the levee, would put added strain on the levee during a time of high water. He said officials remained optimistic the delay would only be temporary.

“We understand the bonfire tradition runs deep in this area, and the last thing we wanted to do was delay the festivities that coincide with the season,” Wilson said. “We were all glad to see the river drop down low enough.”

The construction delay, which was enforced the week of Thanksgiving, marked the first time in memorable history the bonfire celebration stood in danger of cancellation. According to local folklore, residents of the River Parishes ignite the fires to help light the way for Papa Noel as he travels down the Mississippi and through the bayous.

The announcement on Thusday was “a sigh of relief” for officials at the St. James Parish Office of Economic Development and Tourism, which handles the permitting for bonfires in St. James. Audrey Temple, coordinator for economic development, said 82 bonfire permits had been handed out prior to the construction ban.

“We’ve been calling them back non-stop,” Temple said. “Everyone has been so pleased with the news.”

Temple said her office handed out 110 permits for fires last year, and she hopes to match that this year.

“Even with the delay, I still think we will get just as many,” said Temple. “It is a tradition that draws the entire region together.”

In St. John Parish, officials said no bonfire permits had been issued prior to the ban. St. John Parish Acting Chief Administrative Officer Buddy Boe said Friday the Office of Public Safety began calling residents who had permits last year to let them know the ban is lifted.

He said the parish issued 30 permits last year on both the east bank and west bank of the parish.