Parish President Matthew Jewell and St. Charles Parish Council members, joined by the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, celebrated the start of construction on the first permanent pump stations in Montz during a groundbreaking ceremony held on Friday, August 22, 2025.

“Permanent pumping capacity is desperately needed in Montz,” said Parish President Matthew Jewell. “This investment will protect our residents and ensure a better protected future for the Montz community.”

The two stations will have a combined pumping capacity of 607 CFS and house nine new pumps with automatic bar screen cleaners and 36-inch discharge lines. Each station will have an acre of on-site sump storage, plus SCADA controls, diesel generators, and fuel tanks to keep pumps running without electricity. The pumping capacity of Montz I & II will be more than 3.5 times the current capacity of the interim hydraulic pump on the Prescott Canal, which will be removed once the stations are online.

The project represents a more than $32 million investment in drainage and flood protection, with $10 million in funding provided by CPRA. The remainder of the project cost comes from local funds approved by the Parish Council. Designed by GIS Engineering, LLC, the stations will be constructed by Sealevel Construction, Inc., the low bidder.

Once complete, the two stations will be integrated into the East Bank West Shore Hurricane Protection Levee System, providing long-overdue relief to more than 800 homes, 25 industrial facilities, an electrical power plant, a church, and a fire station.