NRCS Zone 4 Employees Recognized

Jefferson County Drainage District #6 presented resolutions to four Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) employees for their assistance provided through the Emergency Watershed Protection Program (EWP) for cleanup and debris removal after Hurricane Ike.

Kathleen “Kat” Pinckney, supervisory contract specialist, Emil “Trey” Bethke III, district conservationist, Hank Wiederhold, civil engineer and Tom Bresee, civil engineering technician, were honored during the district’s board of director meeting held recently in Beaumont.

The resolutions also recognized the employees’ expert advice and timely response in the wake of Ike.

“It has been a pleasure working with NRCS after the storm and these four individuals are really experts in their fields,” said Richard Leblanc Jr., Drainage District #6 general manager.

The Category 2 storm inundated the southern half of Jefferson County with a storm surge of more than 13 feet. Drainage District #6 received $947,787.25 under the EWP program to remove debris from the Mayhaw Bayou and Taylor Bayou Watersheds, along with outfalls on Whites Ranch. Assistance was also provided to repair the Mayhaw salt water barrier that was damaged during the storm.

Left to right: Sam O. Smith, president, Drainage District #6; Kat Pinckney, NRCS supervisory contract specialist, and Jim Broussard, assistant general manager, Drainage District#6.	Left to Right: Sam O. Smith, president, Drainage District #6; Hank Wiederhold, NRCS civil engineer; Jim Broussard, assistant general manager, Drainage District #6.
Left to Right: Sam O. Smith, president, Drainage District #6; Trey Bethke, NRCS district conservationist at Hempstead; Jim Broussard, assistant general manager, Drainage District#6.	Left to Right: Sam O. Smith, president, Drainage District #6; Tom Bresee, NRCS civil engineering technician; Jim Broussard, assistant general manager, Drainage District#6.