New Orleans homeowners have begun receiving letters from the Army Corps of Engineers demanding that they remove objects that obstruct nearby levees' rights of way, including fences and trees. If history repeats itself, this may get messy.
"By state law and federal Army Corps of Engineers regulation, levee rights of way must be maintained as undeveloped and unobstructed green space to ensure regular safety inspections, emergency flood-fighting or future levee development.
In heavily developed neighborhoods such as those hugging the lakefront levee in Metairie and Kenner, establishing those dividing lines between public and private property along the hurricane protection levees has been a historically thorny issue."
"It's too soon to know how many legitimate encroachments there might be today along the East Jefferson lakefront stretching 11 miles between the 17th Street Canal and the West Return Canal floodwall in Kenner.
But district representatives involved in the process aren't expecting this to be the same kind of heated encroachment sweep experienced more than a decade ago."
FULL STORY: Over the line? Homeowners told to clear levee intruders
As the Mississippi River Rises, So Does the Threat to New Orleans
Climate change and channelization have made high water levels the norm along the river. But low-lying New Orleans lies in its path, and the consequences could be monumental.
Report: $14 Billion New Orleans Flood System, Completed Less Than a Year Ago, Already Obsolete
The Army Corps of Engineers is already assessing the needs of repair work on a project it completed in May 2018 at the cost of $14 billion.
Levee Construction Around New Orleans Enters a Period of Uncertainty
The Times-Picayune reports that the Army Corps of Engineers, under pressure from penny-pinched local governments, has commenced a new pilot study that potentially relaxes the new, stricter standards for levees it set in place post-Katrina.
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
Seine Pollution Could Hinder Olympic Swim Events
Events like the triathlon could be impacted if tests continue to reveal high levels of dangerous bacteria in Paris’ famous river.
How Financing Restricts the Rental Housing Market
The way apartment buildings are financed has a major impact on supply and costs.
Houston Mayor Pauses Complete Streets Projects
The move raises concerns among road safety advocates who point out that traffic deaths continue to rise.
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