Groundbreaking for Louisiana Avenue Detention Basin Project in Lake Charles Held by Calcasieu Parish Police Jury

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Published October 05, 2022

Groundbreaking for Louisiana Avenue Detention Basin Project in Lake Charles Held by Calcasieu Parish Police Jury

Lake Charles, Louisiana – On Tuesday, October 4, the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury, together with other parish and local authorities, celebrated the groundbreaking of the Louisiana Avenue Detention Basin Project.

The basin will be 935 feet wide, 885 feet long, and 13 feet deep, and will be built on 18 acres of land on Louisiana Avenue along Contraband Bayou. It will be able to contain up to 60 million gallons of water once completed, which is the equivalent of 7-1/2 football fields with one foot of water covering each.

Excess water from Contraband Bayou will be retained in the retention basin. When the bayou reaches a specific height during heavy rains, the basin will hold the water until the event passes and the bayou recedes. The basin will then slowly evacuate water back into Contraband Bayou until it reaches its permanent pool level of three feet.

“It’s kind of like a parking garage for the water,” said Allen Wainwright, Director of the Division of Engineering and Public Works.

The location will be open to the public and will include landscaping, lights, benches, trash cans, and a half-mile walking trail.

“This is a great day as we break ground on what is the first of many regional detention ponds around Calcasieu Parish,” said Anthony Bartie, Calcasieu Parish Police Jury Vice President. “Contraband Bayou is an ongoing concern for flooding, so this detention basin project is especially needed in the area. On behalf of the entire Police Jury, I pledge to our residents that we will continue to make drainage and flooding our utmost priority.”

“This project will help with flooding within the watershed and surrounding community, while offering residents passive park amenities – such as a walking path,” said Alberto Galan, Assistant to the Parish Administrator. “It is being funded with a combination of local parish and federal funds from the American Rescue Plan allocation granted to the Police Jury. These funds are also being utilized to fund various other water, sewer, and drainage infrastructure projects parishwide.”

Following the groundbreaking ceremony, Triton Construction will begin work on the $5.76 million project. The project is scheduled to be completed in March 2024.

Featured image source: Calcasieu Parish Police Jury