News alert: Judge rules against owner of Alligator Bayou Swamp Tours

A judge has ruled against the owner of Alligator Bayou Swamp Tours in his suit against Ascension and Iberville parishes, which he claims ruined his eco-tourism business when they opened a floodgate between Alligator Bayou and Bayou Manchac in 2009, causing water levels to drop. While 23rd Judicial District Judge Thomas Kliebert notes in his ruling today that “the loss of Plaintiff’s eco-tourism business is admittedly a tragic consequence,” he nonetheless grants the defendants’ motion for summary judgment. “It is clear that the Parishes’ decision to open the floodgate was directly related to drainage and flood prevention and control,” Kliebert says in the ruling. You can learn more about the dispute in a 2009 Business Report cover story here. –Stephanie Riegel and Penny Font