The President signed the $2.9 billion appropriated by Congress to restore levees to pre-Katrina levels. $0.2 billion requested by the President but not approved in this package would have moved the Orleans pumping stations to the lakefront and armored the backsides of levees.

This package leaves the city short again of actually improving the levee system pending Congressional evaluation.

Even more consequential is whether the money appropriated will actually be released to the Corps of Engineers (as of January $225 million has been released) and whether the Corps will actually let the contracts, and whether the contractors will get the work done before the next time we need the protection. And of course this assumes that this time the Corps will do the job right. And I believe there is still a provision that requires a single levee board for all the money to be spent.

The Corps initiated Project Guardian to restore the levees to pre-K strength before the next hurricane season. It looks like they will succeed and with some improvments as well including floodgates to stop storm surge at the three Orleans drainage canals but not the Industiral canal or MrGO quite yet. They took some criticism for materials and techniques and the American Society of Civil Engineers has recommended a comprehensive review.

As of late August 2006 the Corps is still trying to finish some of the key projects needed to protect New Orleans from another storm. While the levees have been repaired the gates at the outfall canals are still incomplete. Sheet piling and temporary pumps are in place but New Orleans can expect street flooding should a storm require closure of the canals. ON the westbank the Harvey Canal floodwall project is running behind leaving a big chunk of the westbank exposed. Levees along the GIWW will not be raised until 2007. BNOB recommendations are being ignored.