...applied to coastal restoration, another chronically unfunded need, adds Tim Doody, president of the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-East.

Even though the disasters of the 2005 hurricane season ultimately landed Louisiana a generously funded flood-protection program, challenges with civil-works funding and public support remain. Louisiana is still on the hook for an estimated $1.7-billion cost-share, which was deferred by the federal government for repayment over 30 years. Plus, local levee authorities face increased operation and maintenance budgets.

On Aug. 19, SLFPA-East awarded AECOM, based in Los Angeles, a $350,000 to $400,000 contract to determine future operations and maintenance costs so the authority can go to the public with a real budget and appeal for more money. AECOM is set to deliver the study by December.

“We’ve had a pretty good idea that the cost of operating the new system will be considerably more, but we had to wait until design was far enough along to know what type of structures and mechanical equipment we would have, as well as life-cycle and operations costs,” says Robert Turner, regional director of SLFPA-East. “We’ve got a $14.6-billion investment in the system, and for it to function properly, it has to be taken care of.”

Although Katrina woke up everyone to the fact that floodwaters don’t recognize jurisdictional boundaries, laws surrounding taxes and revenue streams still do, Turner adds.

“When Congress did the levee consolidations, they couldn’t eliminate the districts themselves because they are taxing districts with millages designed to form functions within those districts,” he says. “Some districts are barely staying alive because the population is still not back, and the tax base isn’t there.” If laws don’t allow funds from one operational district to apply to another, the new system may revert to its pre-Katrina status—a system in name only.

“Another thing lurking out there is, who has to pay for future lifts of earthen embankments?” Turner adds. Even though the Corps has delivered the 100-year-level system, Turner and others worry about ongoing subsidence, sea-level rise, coastal erosion and environmental degradation.

“Before Katrina, lifts were 50-50 cost-shared, but now they would be at full local expense,” Turner says. “Probably in the next WRDA [Water Resources Development Act reauthorization], there needs to be a provision to authorize shared cost.”