The Conleys have lived on Mithra Street in Pontchartrain Park for more than 50 years—long enough to be flooded several times by the Dwyer Canal, which is just behind their home. Whenever it rains hard, they find themselves checking compulsively to see just how close the water is coming to their property. As garden outreach coordinator for Longue Vue House and Gardens, I interviewed residents about their experiences living along the canal. Mrs. Conley summed up the neighborhood consensus: “What’s important to me is that it never flood.”
A recent study revealed the water dynamics of the canal are influenced by the adjoining areas of Pontchartrain Park, Gentilly Woods, and a much larger area outside of the neighborhood. As rainwater hits the drainage system, pumps at Lake Pontchartrain are unable to deal with the capacity, which causes the system to back up and the streets and sometimes the canal to flood.
One solution offered was that if 15 percent of the houses in the surrounding area would hold on to just 100 gallons of rainwater before it enters the system, there would be considerably less flooding. The solution might be as simple as rain barrels and rain gardens.
Street flooding is a major problem throughout the Greater New Orleans area. If we can apply simple storm-water retention practices to alleviate flooding at the Dwyer Canal, perhaps we can use the same methods throughout the city.
Submitted by Hilairie Schackai, garden outreach manager at Longue Vue House and Gardens. The report referenced in the article was paid for by a grant to the Pontilly Disaster Collaborative from the Greater New Orleans Foundation’s Environmental Fund.
