State, parish officials monitoring Red River bank break

A natural high bank of Red River was breached Thursday, causing the Red to flow into an agricultural field and into Lake Ophelia National Wildlife Refuge. However, there is no immediate threat to homes, a District 8 DOTD official said. Agricultural lands and the national refuge will be affected.

“We are looking at it and discussing it right now,” Rhett A. Desselle, District 8 assistant district administrator, said shortly after the breach occurred Thursday. “Nothing immediate will happen.”

Desselle said initial reports were that a small man-made levee had failed. That is incorrect. He said the breach actually occurred in a natural high bank of the river.

“At some point, someone made a cut in the bank and put in a pipe with a flap to drain that field into the river,” Desselle said. “That pipe blew out, creating a crevasse in the ridge where the pipe was, allowing the water to flow through the break and into the field.”

Avoyelles Office of Emergency Preparedness Director Joey Frank said his office, the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP), Red River-Atchafalaya-Bayou Boeuf Levee Board and DOTD are working together to monitor the situation to prepare for any possible problems.

“As of this time there is no danger to communities along the river,” Frank said. “We are monitoring it closely. If things change and there is any danger to anyone, they will be notified immediately.”

Frank said DOTD has been on-site to evaluate the situation.

"This is NOT a RABB Levee," Frank said. "It is on private property. All water is going in wooded land and fields. As of this time there is NO FLOODING warning for the Spring Bayou or any other areas because of this drainage problem! If there would be a need to Evacuate any areas Avoyelles Office of Homeland Securities and Emergency Preparedness, Avoyelles Parish Sherriff Office would advise of the area or areas in DANGER. If anyone has any questions or concerns please feel free to contact me."

Desselle said it is a “wait and see situation” as state and parish officials try to determine where the water will go once it gets through the break.

“It could follow the Lake Long ridge and flow back into Bayou Natchitoches.”

That would limit the effect on other areas.

If the water takes a different course, some areas could see backwater flooding in four or five weeks.

“The rivers are high and will probably stay high,” Desselle said. “They are not rising, but they will probably stay where they are at for awhile.”

If the rivers start dropping more rapidly, that will also stem the flow of water through that break.