Crowder Gulf has started the year-long process of clearing hurricane-related debris from drainage laterals throughout Calcasieu Parish, officials announced Monday.

The massive effort is expected to cost nearly $100 million and include just over 1,300 miles of laterals. Crowder Gulf — the company the Police Jury hired in July to do the work — has so far collected more than 99,000 cubic yards of debris from laterals in the Lake Charles watershed. That work is part of Phase 1A, which began in early October.

The first phase will focus on the larger drainage laterals, and work will extend through the fourth phase that will address the smallest laterals. The effort will include 22 sub-phases.

FEMA will reimburse up to 90 percent of the project’s cost, as long as the parish follows specific guidelines set by the agency, officials said. The parish and the two drainage districts in Calcasieu will share the remaining 10 percent.

Debris will be removed from other laterals in Calcasieu Parish as part of other phases, once they get approval by FEMA on certain plans.

Police Jury President Brian Abshire said in a statement that clearing debris related to Hurricanes Laura and Delta from drainage laterals “is an essential part of our recovery.”

Both Parish Administrator Bryan Beam and Kelly

Fontenot, parish assistant finance director, said during an interview in September that the task is so large, it would take 8-10 years if the parish dedicated every public works crew to help out the drainage districts. Fontenot added that the per-cubic-yard cost of removing debris from drainage laterals is 10 times more than roadside debris because of the difficulty crews have in accessing the laterals.

The Police Jury hired Tetra Tech to monitor the debris picked up by Crowder Gulf and to determine if it is eligible for FEMA reimbursement. Crowder Gulf also cleared roadside debris after the hurricanes, with Tetra Tech monitoring that effort.

After Hurricane Laura’s landfall in August 2020, the parish started identifying debris, getting the necessary permits and securing approval from different federal agencies. The Police Jury in May approved agreements with the two parish drainage districts to let the program begin.