Bayou Lafourche Fresh Water District Authorizes Contractor to Begin Weir Demolition
January 9, 2021
The Bayou Lafourche Fresh Water District has authorized Sealevel Construction to proceed with the Thibodaux weir removal project. The initial work will take place at the City of Thibodaux’s water treatment facility and will begin in early January. The weir demolition is scheduled to begin in late February and completed by mid-2021. Pedestrian traffic, some bayou-side vehicular parking spaces, boat traffic, and fishing will be restricted around the immediate area during utility relocation, equipment mobilization, and weir demolition. Long-term closure of La Highway 1 is not expected.
As part of the MRRBL (Mississippi River Reintroduction into Bayou Lafourche) series of projects, the removal of the weir plays a critical role in the Bayou Lafourche Fresh Water District’s ability to pump more fresh water into the Bayou Lafourche to protect our endangered coast due to saltwater intrusion. The only true long-term mitigation for this continued encroachment is to increase the fresh water supply into Bayou Lafourche from the Mississippi River, and removal of the weir is a large part of the MRRBL project list.