Hogs Damaging Levees in Louisiana’s Jefferson Parish

Feral hogs in Louisiana are rooting up levees on Jefferson Parish’s west bank, causing damage that could pose a threat to flood protection, officials say.

The west bank levee board has enlisted the help of the U.S. Agriculture Department determine the size of the hog population before deciding what measures to take.

“We are working with the USDA to assess the situation in our jurisdiction before taking humane steps to eradicate the problem in an efficient and cost-effective way,” board President Susan Maclay said.

The Times-Picayune reported the problem was discovered after Hurricane Isaac, when officials conducted inspections of more than 60 miles of levees.

Storm surge pushed feral hogs onto the levees, where they foraged for food, damaging levees along Lake Cataouatche, Bayou Segnette State Park and the Jean Lafitte National Park, says Giuseppe Miserendino, regional director of the west bank levee authority.

“We made the repairs and literally, 24 hours later, they ripped up the repairs,” Miserendino told the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-West’s board of commissioners. “We spent thousands of dollars repairing the levee, and 24 hours later, it was back in worse condition. So our game plan of just repairing as need be wasn’t going to work.”

The Agriculture Department offers a nuisance wildlife program. Scientists will conduct an assessment to determine how large the feral hog populations are and whether the animals are carrying diseases that pose a threat to humans, Miserendino said.

After the analysis, biologists will develop a plan to address the issue, he said. That work is expected to begin in a few weeks.

Topics Louisiana Agribusiness