St. Tammany Parish gets $2.4 mil to rebuild ‘stronger’ fishing pier

COVINGTON, La. ( WGNO ) — St. Tammany Parish is getting $2.4 million to repair its fishing pier on Lake Pontchartrain in the Slidell area. The pier was damaged by Hurricane Ida in August, 2021.

The parish cut the ribbon on the fishing pier in 2012. Part of the buildout included portions of the old Interstate 10 span across Lake Pontchartrain that was damaged by Hurricane Katrina.

Since 2012, the pier has been damaged by other storms, so after Ida, Parish President Mike Cooper vowed to build the pier back stronger. Cooper also told WGNO News that accomplishing his mission would require more time, planning and money.

Next, the repair plan will enter its final design phase, the money for which is being provided by FEMA.

“Building resilient, sustainable infrastructure has been a focus of my administration since the beginning, and will continue to with the improved fishing pier in Slidell,” said Cooper in a written statement announcing the funding.

Not only will the parish use stronger materials to rebuild the entry area, but it will also include repairs to parking lot as well as the addition of a rock jetty to protect the structure.

The parish did not release a timeline to complete the work, but said that information would be forthcoming.

“FEMA’s final approval of funding for the fishing pier represents an opportunity to rebuild a beloved fishing spot, and also heal from one of the final reminders of Hurricane Ida,” said Cooper.

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