Governor Jindal Announces Completion of D'Arbonne Spillway Flood Control Project in Union Parish

Press Release

Today, Governor Jindal announced the completion of a flood control project at the Lake D'Arbonne Spillway in Union Parish. The project will curb flooding that impacts homes and roadways near the lake through the construction of two flood control tainter gates. The new floodgates were funded with $8.7 million in state capital outlay funding.

There are at least 1,200 homes around the perimeter of the lake. Flooding has been a problem in the Lake D'Arbonne area since before the man-made lake was built. The existing spillway has four original gates in it that were built for the purpose of lowering the lake's level for routine repairs and fish management. They were not built for flood control, were small and provided little flow control. The new, wider gates will help alleviate this problem by causing water to flow away from the area more efficiently in the event of a flood. The new gates will also allow for more control of the lake by draining more water in a shorter period of time in response to a flood event.

Governor Jindal said, "These new flood gates will better protect area roadways and homes around Lake D'Arbonne. The spillway's original floodgates were smaller and were not efficient at lowering the lake's water levels during flooding events, but these new wider gates will help water flow away from the area faster in the event of an emergency and protect our businesses, roads and families from dangerous floodwater."

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