BATON ROUGE, La. (Army News Service, June 28, 2010) - The Louisiana National Guard completed construction of an 8.2 mile long Tiger Dam shoreline protection system along the beach in Grand Isle, La.
"Our Soldiers put in 110 percent by working 24-hour operations to get this protective barrier up as fast as possible," said Capt. Robert J. Rogers, commander of the 1022nd Vertical Engineer, Company, 527th Engineer Battalion, and resident of Forest Hill, La.
Tiger Dam water diversion systems are normally used for flood control. They are comprised of a series of interlocking flexible tubes that are inflated with water to help keep encroaching oil from reaching inland areas.
"If any oil were to come into these marshlands, it would greatly disrupt the marine life, as well as the lives of the citizens of these communities," said Brig. Gen. Owen W. Monconduit, commander of the 225th Engineer Brigade and resident of Pineville, La., who surveyed the work June 24.
During construction, Guard crews laid out the Tiger Dam material for assembly and inflation while other crews operated the pumps and hoses used to fill the tubular sections with water.
Guard engineers will continue to monitor the Tiger Dam barrier wall to ensure it remains properly inflated and functional.
(Sgt. Rebekah Malone serves with Louisiana National Guard Public Affairs.)
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