Updates on coastal restoration and flood protection projects in Terrebonne Parish will be featured at Wednesday’s Coastal Day in Houma.
Local, state and federal officials as well as industry leaders will congregate at the Houma-Terrebonne Civic Center to participate in panel discussions about the progress being made in the parish.
“If anyone’s interested in getting an up-close and personal look at our structures, our levees and meet some of the people who helped make it happen, I think it would be a great opportunity to do that,” said Angela Hidalgo, administrative manager for the Terrebonne Levee and Conservation District.
The levee district and parish government are putting on the event. The first interactive showcase in 2017 drew about 750 people, including people from neighboring parishes, said Hidalgo.
“The first time we did it, we had no idea it was going to be such a success,” she said, adding the event may be unique in the state.
While Coastal Day will run from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. with the first panel discussion taking place around 5 p.m., a few other events are planned earlier in the day.
The Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority plans to have its monthly meeting at 9:30 a.m. in the civic center, which is open to the public.
Then, the new $35 million floodgate at Falgout Canal will be dedicated to the late Jimmy Dagate at a public ceremony at 1:30 p.m. Dagate served as the attorney for the Terrebonne Parish Economic Development Authority, Terrebonne Parish Housing Authority and levee district. Gov. John Bel Edwards will speak at the dedication.
The event will include drone video footage recorded in the last two weeks, showcasing the different projects. People will have the chance to look at more in-depth closeups and stand next to a life-size model of a levee.
For information, visit www.tpcg.org.
Staff Writer Halle Parker can be reached at hparker@houmatoday.com or 857-2204. Follow her on Twitter, @_thehalparker.