WALKER — A project to clean and improve the Colyell Creek System in Livingston Parish officially kicked off on Tuesday.

Livingston Parish Government, Gravity Drainage District 5 and the City of Walker will work collaboratively on the project.

Livingston Parish resident James Grace, who lives near the creek, says the project will help with flooding issues that he has been experiencing recently.

Grace has a farm along Joe May Road, an area he and his neighbors say is flooding too often.

"Well, the problem is the water comes, and it sits in these creeks and has no way to get out of here," Grace said.

Grace says drainage ditches from the nearby Hunter's Ridge Subdivision connect to the ditches behind his property.

"Out of this property and then into this lateral ditch, which then makes its way to the creek. By cleaning out the creek all the way to the bay, it's gonna allow more water to move out of here quickly," Grace said.

A spokesperson with the subdivision's builder, DSLD Homes, told WBRZ that this project will help the situation with drainage and flooding issues surrounding the creek, saying he has lived in that area for more than a decade.

Livingston Parish Council Member John Mangus told WBRZ Tuesday that the council announced the project about a month ago. Crews were out at the creek along Joe May Road on Tuesday morning to begin the work, and Livingston Public Works Director Robert Dugas talked about the project.

"We're doing a Cooperative Endeavor Agreement with the city of Walker and the drainage district to clean some of the channels in our unfunded area. Over 19 miles," Dugas said.

According to the parish, part of the creek is in an area of the parish that lacks a funded drainage district.

"We're going to remove all of the blockages, any tree debris, any type of household trash debris, trees falling in. That's our main goal: to improve the drainage. With the lack of maintenance, we're here to get it up to par and get it open and flowing," Operations Manager Nick Rickards said.

The creek along Joe May Road flooded back in May. WBRZ covered the flooding, and one of the residents it spoke to at the time, Jackie Wesley, told WBRZ Tuesday that the project will definitely help fix the flooding problem, but not fully solve it.

According to crews, they expect the project to last six months.

Instead of waiting for a grant or contracting the project out, the agencies decided to pool resources to complete the work.

Gravity Drainage District 5 is providing the crews and equipment to clean the creek, while the City of Walker and Livingston Parish Government are providing some funding to pay for fuel and upkeep of equipment. The Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office is also providing a boat.

"Drainage doesn't stop at a city limit or a drainage district boundary. When we have an opportunity to work together and stretch taxpayer dollars further while improving drainage, that's exactly what we should be doing," Livingston Parish President Randy Delatte said in a Facebook post.