'No wake' zone imposed in Bayou Sorrel area

At least three enforcement agencies will help enforce a 'no wake' zone from Jack Miller's Landing to the Sorrel Lock until high water subsides, Iberville Chief Administrative Officer Edward A. “Lucky” Songy Jr. announced Wednesday.

Songy said the no wake zone was imposed Wednesday after the parish government office received a number of calls about recreational boaters causing problems in the area.

The Iberville Sheriff's Office, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and the U. S. Coast Guard will patrol the area to enforce the zone, Songy said.

During high water, the wakes from boats can erode banks and push water into homes.

The Coast Guard on Monday limited barge traffic to one-way through the area to help protect property, according to Emergency Preparedness Director Laurie Doiron. The water level then stood at 6.6 feet on the landside in the Sorrel and Pigeon areas.

Parish Environmental and Permits Manager John J. Clark said the level had risen to 6.8 feet there. At 7.3 feet, the Coast Guard will close the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway to marine traffic altogether, the parish officials said.

Clark noted that more rain is expected on Thursday (December 17) and that water continues to drain from as far north as Morganza into Iberville's southern bayous.

“We're not out of the woods yet,” Clark said.