b'SURFACE WATEROne of Terrebonne Levee and Conservation District\'s barge gates (foreground) stands open.The gate system is being modified to encourage fresh water to circulate among the bayous.Bubba Dove Bayou GrandFloodgate Caillou FloodgateBuilt 2013,Floodgate Closures forTotal cost: $52.6 Million Tropical Storm Cindy, June 2017It takes a team of as many as six workers as long as 1.5 hours to move a barge gate from the open position (left) to closed (right),so timely, accurate data on water velocity, direction and stage is vital to the district.Public Interest It didn\'t take long for residents of Terrebonne ParishNews on the gates also allows them to get who rely on the waterwaysthe shrimpers andback to work after storms blow through.oystermen, the barge haulers, the recreational fishing enthusiaststo ask for access to the data streaming"Everybody wants to know not only when into the levee district\'s system. it\'s going to close, but when it\'s going to open," Kennedy notes. "We don\'t want The district commissioned a public app, then switchedto keep things closed any longer than to an online service at www.tlcd.org/mobile. we have to. There\'s so much commercial interest in getting out to the water."Visitors can click on any of the floodgates that have instruments and get an instant, up-to-date look atTo Kennedy, commercial interest is just one part of flood-side stage, wind direction and wind speed, andwhat the levee system is being built to protect.the status of the gate. Those who subscribe by sharing"You\'re protecting life and property of the people their emails and cell numbers can get alerts when thewho live here," he says. "But the other aspect is gates are closing or opening. you\'re protecting the culture and the environmental resources.Kennedy says pilots on the system can use the website and alerts to adjust their routes on the GulfIf we were to lose these coastal wetlands, Louisiana Intracoastal Waterway and other channels based onwould lose its identity. If we lose our coastal wetlands, gate closuresdecisions that can keep them workingthere\'s no more seafood, no more crawfish, no more during changes in the weather or get them homeCajun culture. The communities that have been built safely as storms close in. here, that\'s what they\'re built on."Whos Minding the Planet? 11'