DD6 works hard every day performing the many tasks necessary to control storm and flood waters from rivers, streams, ditches and drains and reclaim overflowed lands. Over the years, Jefferson County has relinquished most of its flood control and drainage activities to DD6 for properties within the district, which covers an area close to half the size of Rhode Island.
DD6’s responsibility consists of maintaining and constructing large outfalls, cutoffs, gullies, streams and bayous that accept runoff collected through municipal and other local drainage systems and transport it out of the area. “Our job is to maintain what we have and expand our system,” explained DD6 General Manager Dr. Joseph Majdalani, a license profes- sional engineer. “We accept the water and move it out of the area to mini- mize flooding, and we capture lost capacity.” According to him, DD6 has grown significantly since its formation in 1920. “DD6 purchased its first drag line, mainly to clean up ditches, in 1931,” said Dr. Majdalani. “At that time, the district was maintaining 114 ditches totaling 232 miles, and it covered 195,840 acres.” When the Army Corps of Engineers allowed DD6 to discharge water into the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway in 1942, it provided opportunity to increase the area covered by DD6, and in 1943, the DD6 board decided to enlarge its boundaries to include rice farmers and ranchers asking for drainage assistance. That added a lot of area to DD6’s coverage.