By Monique Roth
L’Observateur

LAPLACE — Wooden fence boards, ice chests, motorcycle helmets and sofas are just a few of the dangerous items pulled from canals around St. John the Baptist Parish during the recently completed $1.3 million Canal Repair, Cleaning, and Drainage Project, Public Works superintendent Rory Vicknair said.

The project, underway since January, was granted a Certificate of Substantial Completion at the last Finance Committee meeting.

Three Deuces Inc. performed work on 20 parish canals, cleaning over 155,068 linear feet of waterway throughout the parish.

Assistant Public Works Director Verdell Kindrick said “some residents can be their own worst enemy” when it comes to drainage issues because they are very concerned when their streets flood but do not show any caution as to what they dispose of in the canals.

One of the most damaging items to throw in the canals, Public Works Director Brian Nunes said, are any type of wooden boards because they often get caught in the drainage pumps.

He said he strongly encourages residents to dispose of trash properly, and that by doing so they are helping not only the parish but themselves when it comes to drainage.

“Keeping parish waterways free of obstructions is essential for the natural drainage of the area,” Nunes said. “We are committed to continuing to work to keep these canals clean and ask that our residents assist our efforts by refraining from dumping trash in all canals and ditches throughout the parish.”

Due to obstructions in the drainage systems inhibiting the flow of storm water, St. John was awarded a $1,332,604 Gustav/Ike Community Development Block Grant to improve water runoff within the target areas.

The 20 canals initially included in the project were River Forest Canal, Montz Canal, Landmark Canal, Lassiegne Canal, Haydel Canal, Milesville Canal, Guillot Canal, Belle Point Canal, Dufrenese Canal, Trosclair Canal, Hotard Canal, Northwest 3rd Canal, Reserve East West Cross Cut Canal, Mississippi Bayou Canal, Dutch Bayou Canal, Terre Haute Canal, Marathon Canal, East Frisco Canal, DuPont Canal and Sugar Mill Canal.

Communications Director Paige Falgoust said the initial timeline projection for the project was June, but the additional cleaning of 12,300 linear feet of the Reserve Relief Canal pushed back total completion slightly.

Nunes said the Reserve Relief Canal wasn’t initially included in the project because the Corps cleaned it less than two years ago.

He said it was later added to the project because many boaters complained of debris, including tree stumps, in the waterway.