By ROBIN SHANNON
L’Observateur

HAHNVILLE — Sturdier restrooms, new established areas for horseback riding and four-wheeling and a more aggressive public outreach education program are just some of the proposed improvements included in the newly developed master plan for the Bonnet Carre Spillway, which was announced Monday at the St. Charles Council Meeting.

The plan, broken down for the council by Chris Brantley, spillway project manager for the Army Corps of Engineers, also includes various road upgrades for the 8,000-acre recreational area and construction of a new administration building on Airline Highway that would complement the River Road offices.

“The new building would be in a location that would make it easier for visitors to come in and get more information on what the spillway has to offer,” said Brantley. “It would also give us more space to expand our offices.”

In addition to Monday’s presentation, Brantley said the corps has scheduled two additional meetings that would allow the public to voice their comments and concerns about the proposed improvements.

The first meeting is set for May 13 at the Maison Magnolia reception hall, 950 First St., Norco, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The second meeting will be held May 17, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., at the spillway pavilion just north of Airline Drive in Norco. Brantley said both meetings would include an open house followed by a formal presentation.

Brantley said the revisions stem from the original master plan for the spillway, which was completed in 1998. He said changes have become necessary since the spillway has evolved from a man-made channel to redirect floodwaters from the Mississippi River to Lake Pontchartrain into one of the River Parishes largest recreational areas. Residents have been known to use the spillway for boating, biking, running, horseback riding, ATV riding and wildlife watching.

The master plan calls for replacement of portable toilets with complete restroom facilities, upgrades to the boat launches, and the establishment of specific areas for horseback and ATV riding.

“We have found that a lot more people are riding horses near the Montz side of the spillway,” Brantley said. “Our plan is to keep them in that area while also looking out for ATV and four-wheelers, who have also become much more prevalent.”

Brantley said Monday that the facility and infrastructure improvements are only part of the new proposal. He said the corps also has included a vegetation management plan as well as a few changes to the spillway’s sand hauling program.

“The changes mostly pertain to companies with larger trucks who have a contractual relationship with the corps,” Brantley said. “We would still allow anyone to take their personal truck into the area to grab sand as they need it.”

The new plan would set up specific areas of the spillway designated for sand removal. Brantley said the move would improve the aesthetics of the spillway and also help battle erosion along the lakeshore.