About the Levee District
The Tensas Basin Levee District (TBLD) was created by an Act of the Louisiana Legislature on July 3, 1884 and is the oldest and geographically largest levee district in the state. The district includes all or part of eight parishes: Caldwell, Catahoula, Franklin, LaSalle, Morehouse, Ouachita, Richland, and West Carroll. The Governing Board consists of eleven commissioners, one in each parish, an additional at-large member, and two additional commissioners in Ouachita Parish. The Board of Commissioners monitor agency operations for fiscal accountability and serves as liaisons between the levee district and their respective communities. Their business experience is invaluable to the levee district.
The Tensas Basin Levee District is comprised of three divisions: Administrative, Enforcement, and Maintenance. The legal domicile is in Rayville, Louisiana, however the Monroe, Louisiana location is the primary confluence of the three divisions. The Maintenance Division also occupies a facility in Jonesville, Louisiana.
The Tensas Basin Levee District maintains close partnerships with local, state, and federal governments and entities, such as the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) and U. S. Army Corp of Engineers (USACE) to ensure that the levees and flood control structures within the district are maintained, fully operational, and functioning proficiently.
Louisiana Levee Systems
Board of Levee Commissioners
The Board of Commissioners of the Tensas Basin Levee District is composed of eleven (11) members as set by Louisiana Revised Statute 38:291(Q) and is appointed by the Govenor of Louisiana. The Board is charged with the responsibility for managing the business of the Levee District and shall have the powers and duties specified in Louisiana Revised Statutes 38:306, 38:309, and 38:325. The Board Members hold regular meetings which are generally held on the second Tuesday of each month excluding December. The presence in person of six (6) or more Board Members shall constitute a quorum. All meetings of the Board or any Committee thereof shall be open to the public unless closed pursuant to the executive session provisions of Louisiana Revised Statute 42:6.