SLIDELL, LA (WGNO) — Saint Tammany Parish President Pat Brister announced $7.9 million in federal money that’s coming to the parish to reduce the risk of flooding. The money comes from the federal Hazard Mitigation Grant Program.
The money will be used to widen a drainage canal and to construct a 54 acre detention pond.
The work targets the area of St. Tammany above Gause Blvd. and east of I-10.
“We work every day to address flood mitigation and drainage challenges unique to our Parish,” Brister said in a written statement announcing the money. “This grant award moves this multi-layered project forward, and as a result, we will see increased movement of water away from homes during a flooding event.”
The entire cost of the project is $10.6 million, and the grant requires the parish to pay for 25% of it. That means the parish will pay for the remaining $2.6 million not covered by the federal money.
The parish says the job is in the design phase. Construction is expected to begin toward the end of the year.