St. Charles Parish · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in St. Charles Parish public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
ADM barge fleet dredging on the Mississippi
The Army Corps wants consistency approval for 2026 maintenance dredging of three deep-draft river crossings to keep 50-foot channel depths for Port of South Louisiana shipping access.
Love Our Waterways cleanup results
The parish is backing Louisiana's first Love Our Waterways Month with a three-hour cleanup at the Bonnet Carré Spillway and Wetland Watcher Park on September 26. Volunteers get rakes, bags, t-shirts, and can sign up by emailing the coastal zone staff.
Davis Pond diversion operations and Corps accountability
Committee members say the annual Davis Pond operating plan isn't working — salinity levels are killing swamps and wiping out aquatic vegetation, bass fisheries, and duck habitat across the Barataria estuary. They want more input on the operating agreement and floated pushing flows toward 5–15 parts per thousand salinity, with a possible new diversion or siphon upstream.
Five parish projects advance in CPRA 2029 Coastal Master Plan
Parish-submitted projects including the LaBranche marsh creation didn't make CPRA's Priority Project List 36 — the marsh creation was deemed outside the coastal zone. A second solicitation period runs July through September.
Lagattuta Estates drainage and access concerns, Luling
Neighbors say the Gilbert family's planned entrance off the Diane Drive cul-de-sac could pierce a subdivision levee and worsen flooding that already leaves water near porches after heavy rain. The applicant's engineer disputed that, saying the site drains to the back canal. Construction details will be reviewed later through permitting.
Storm Closures
Post-Tropical Storm Arthur is forcing St. Charles Parish schools and government offices to close Wednesday. Before you head out, check whether your school, job, or errand is affected. It’s a safety-first shutdown, but it will scramble routines.
Lake Salvador shoreline protection funding
The council locked in state funding (~$3.38 million) to design a 15-mile shoreline protection project along Lake Salvador, continuing rock-shoreline work started 20 years ago that has already shown land growth where installed.
Federal Hurricane Protection and Storm Damage Risk Reduction Projects (File 2026-0157)
The committee got a full rundown of the levee and pump station projects protecting the parish: the St. Rose levee enlargement finishing this summer, the West Shore Lake Pontchartrain project heading toward a ~2030 finish, and the parish's Montz pump stations due in late 2026. Council members pressed for firm completion dates and asked hard questions about induced flooding from the planned barge gate.