The Southeast Louisiana Urban Flood Control Project (Southeast Louisiana Project, or SELA) is a flood control project by the
US Army Corps of Engineers
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to protect the New Orleans district from flooding due to potential storms, hurricanes, or water surges. It was established in 1996.
History
Most of
lies below sea level, and relies on levees to protect the city against flooding from
Lake Pontchartrain
Lake Pontchartrain ( ) is an estuary located in southeastern Louisiana in the United States. It covers an area of with an average depth of . Some shipping channels are kept deeper through dredging. It is roughly oval in shape, about from west ...
to the north and flooding from the
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...
to the south. In May 1995, record flooding events resulted in seven deaths and $1 billion in damage. As a result,
Congress
A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of a ...
authorized SELA to improve flood control and rainfall drainage systems in Jefferson, Orleans, and St. Tammany Parishes. The authorization was contained in Section 108 of the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 1996 and Section 533 of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 1996.
Implementation
The project includes improvements to channels, canals, pump stations, and drainage lines, as well as the addition of a new pump station in
.
, seven contracts in Orleans Parish were complete, two were underway, and one had yet to be awarded. Other contracts were scheduled for award but limited by insufficient funding.
See also
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Drainage in New Orleans Drainage in New Orleans, Louisiana, has been a major concern since the founding of the city in the early 18th century, remaining an important factor in the history of New Orleans today. The central portion of metropolitan New Orleans (New Orleans/ ...
External links
Army Corps of Engineers page on the project
Flood control in the New Orleans metropolitan area
Flood control projects
Water in Louisiana
New Orleans
1996 establishments in Louisiana
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