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What is Stormwater Management and why does it matter? 

We don’t have to tell you that stormwater is as much a part of New Orleans culture as snowballs and the Saints. At Batture, stormwater management is a huge priority– and it impacts our entire city. As we rapidly approach hurricane season, we know flooding and stormwater is on everyone’s minds–read on to learn about what stormwater management is and how the team at Batture supports it. 

 

Flowing Forward: New Solutions to an Old Problem

Stormwater management, simply put, means finding ways to deal with the rainwater that falls on a site. We develop systems for water management that benefit both people and the environment–striking this balance is a core tenant of the work we do. All projects in New Orleans that are over 5,000 square feet of building, or over 1 acre in size, are required to have stormwater management. This means that the kind of projects we take on are wide-ranging and diverse, both for private businesses and the city. 

In any given project, we’re required to detain the first 1.25″ of rainfall that lands within the property lines; accomplishing this relies on different types of infrastructure. Green infrastructure is nature-based practices that help manage stormwater by reducing stormwater runoff and allowing it to soak into the ground, improving water quality, and filtering out pollutants–think tree boxes, detention ponds, and living shorelines. Gray infrastructure is a traditional man-made method for managing stormwater, such as pipes, catch basins, and pumping stations. 

The benefits of green infrastructure go beyond a stormwater management system– these strategies also enhance the quality of life for communities through outcomes like improved air and water quality, and beautiful green public spaces. 

For example, one of our large-scale projects involves designing green infrastructure in Gentilly. The Mirabeau Water Gardens project achieves functional stormwater management through recreational and educational spaces, like walking paths and play areas. The St. Anthony Green Streets project is a community-inspired stormwater management effort incorporating public art, shade structures, and recreational and social areas.

 

Water We Doing?

A stormwater management project at Batture begins with our civil and landscape departments, which work together to create designs and develop plans using both green and gray infrastructure. The whole team has a hand in the design, and our owner Robert Mora ensures quality control and guides revisions. From start to finish, this is a truly collaborative effort and represents how we like to get things done. The project’s contractor uses our grading plans to manipulate the landform and/or topographic lines so that stormwater can be redirected. Managing the water as close as possible to where the raindrop falls means less pollution discharge and erosion; this is crucial to helping keep both ecosystems and human populations healthy. 

The health of natural and human populations in New Orleans motivates Batture’s work in stormwater management and beyond. Introducing more gray infrastructure into the city, like asphalt and compacted gravel, only puts more pressure on our pump stations and perpetuates stormwater management issues. New Orleans needs and deserves more green infrastructure and sustainable solutions to stormwater management! 

 

For anyone curious for more, see some frequently asked questions and answers below:

Q. What are the costs related to stormwater management?
A: We can safely say that the costs and benefits of stormwater management cancel each other out. It’s hard to put a price on good water systems and New Orleans more than any place needs effective drainage systems in place. Any sustainable infrastructure that protects water resources is a wise investment. Anyone who has seen a sewer overflow will know precisely what we’re talking about. 

Q. Is green and grey infrastructure both necessary?
A: We think so! If we can leverage both types, it will allow us to create both beautiful and safe places to live

Q. Can stormwater management be cost-effective?
A: Yes, and we’d be happy to talk to anyone curious about it. 

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Preserving and Protecting Louisiana Irises this Earth Month and Beyond

It’s Earth Month, and we’re highlighting the incredible work our team members are doing to protect and preserve our local habitats here in Louisiana. Mark Schexnayder is a Senior Biologist at Batture LLC and serves as the president of the Society for Louisiana Irises and a board member of the Greater New Orleans Iris Society. Read on to learn more about these organizations and the habitat conservation work that they do, and where you can go to see some beautiful Louisiana irises. 

 

WHAT ARE THESE ORGANIZATIONS?

The Society for Louisiana Irises is a non-profit educational organization with a mission of promoting the use of Louisiana irises as a gardening resource, including education and conservation of the species. The organization aims to initiate conservation actions that can help reverse the habitat loss trends that have been happening over the last 100 years or so and to preserve the collected species and variants. 

The Greater New Orleans Iris Society exists to exchange information on the culture and breeding of native Louisiana irises, to make the public more aware of Louisiana’s irises, to provide members with access to greater variants of irises to grow in their own gardens, and to preserve the native forms of Louisiana irises and their place in the environment. 

Last year, the organization provided thousands of plants to nonprofits and WorkForce Development Programs for public rain gardens and bioswales from a small island nursery tucked deep in New Orleans City Park. Both the Greater New Orleans Iris Society and the Society for Louisiana Irises provide plants for the Pelican Greenhouse and the City Park Sculpture and Botanical Gardens. 

 

PROTECTING LOCAL IRISES IS CONSERVATION WORK


Mark’s passion for preserving local ecosystems and mitigating the effects of coastal land loss drove him to join the Society for Louisiana Irises in the late 1980’s, and has been involved ever since. 

And the work of protecting and preserving irises has larger positive ripple effects on our environment overall:  “I believe we can inspire people to get behind conservation and restoration by connecting the flowers’ health to the overall habitat sustainability. Doing work to protect local irises and their habitat also protects other birds, bees, plants, and wildlife that thrive there,” Mark says.  

Here at Batture LLC, we have a deep commitment to protecting our local environment. Our team has done community service days in City Park where we have helped weed iris beds, cleaned and restored shorelines, and helped with building projects on Nursery Island. We also proudly provide Pro Bono support for some of the development programs and volunteer groups that help to maintain the iris habitats. 

 

WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE IRIS ORGANIZATIONS?


In 2023, the Society for Louisiana Irises is planning community outreach and building a partnership with UL Lafayette, NGOs, and Federal and State Agencies to develop projects and land protection for the remaining 1,000 acres of habitat occupied by Iris nelsonii (the native species of Louisiana irises) in the wild. They are also working with the Palmetto Island State Park Staff and the Louisiana Iris Conservation Initiative to refurbish and expand boardwalk plantings. 

 

HOW CAN I SEE LOUISIANA IRISES AND GET INVOLVED?


There are two public gardens in New Orleans with masses of Louisiana irises that people can enjoy: the  Sculpture Garden in New Orleans City Park, and Longue Vue Gardens. GNOIS opens the Nursery for the bloom season, and both GNOIS and SLI host showings at private residences. 

You can get involved and learn more about how to enjoy the irises by visiting the organizations’ websites. You’ll find that Louisiana irises are adaptable flowers, reflective of the culture that Louisiana embodies. 

To find out more about Earth Month and spread the love to plants of all kinds, you can check out the official Earth Day website.

 

DID YOU KNOW THIS IRIS TRIVIA?

  • Louisiana iris is a taxonomic group of five iris species native to Louisiana and surrounding regions. These species are Iris fulva, Iris hexagona, Iris brevicaulis, Iris giganticaerulea, and Iris nelsonii.
  • Habitat: Swampy, boggy areas.
  • Hummingbirds, butterflies and insects attracted to flowers rich with nectar are likely to show up near Louisiana irises. 

 

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Internships at Batture

LEARN ABOUT OUR SUMMER INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

Graduate and undergraduate students of the New Orleans area, this one’s for you. Our growing civil engineering and land surveying firm in New Orleans is recruiting for five summer internship positions. Our company provides our clients with a full range of civil engineering services, from site design to water management. At Batture, we’re dedicated to the idea that a highly inspired team can deliver outstanding results while creating powerful social and environmental change. We’re accepting applications in March and will be awarding internships in May. Read on to learn more about working at Batture, our open internship positions, and how to apply. 

 

Why should you work with us?

Our team members are our priority. We operate with an employee-first mentality and we work to foster a healthy and safe working environment for all of our team members. We encourage a strong work-life balance while staying committed to taking pride in our work. We operate out of a beautiful, open-concept office space on Freret Street. Team members enjoy walking to a wide variety of local coffee shops, and food spots, and we have lots of happy hour options (this is New Orleans, after all).

We know that people seek internships for various reasons–to gain credits for school, to gain experience in the fields they want to work in, and to lay the foundation for potential full-time work in the future. For all our interns, we’re open to the possibility of full-time employment after graduation. In fact, we have a history of promoting from within and of hiring interns as full-time team members after they graduate.

 

From summer intern to full-time Survey/Civil Designer


Tylon Richard, one of our Survey/Civil Designers, studied civil and environmental engineering at Howard University in Washington, DC. His career with us began with an internship in the summer of 2018. He excelled in his internship, completed it, finished school, and upon graduation reached back out to us for full-time employment. Tylon says, “I always kept Batture in the back of my mind as a company that set a precedence for the type of work environment I wanted once I graduated, though. This is because I was trusted with a level of work autonomy that, as a young college student and intern, surprised me. I also was in my desired work environment: a combination of performing duties as a civil engineer inside while also working outside as a land surveyor.”

Today, in addition to his land surveyor and civil engineer duties, he’s also a leader in our community and mentors children, teaching leadership skills and teaching them about working, people skills, and college.“My main goal as a mentor has been to show black children and young adults, especially, that there are far more opportunities in the world than what is presented to us within some of our schools, communities, and what we see on tv.” 

We are lucky to have Tylon on our team as a full-time employee, and we’re inspired by the work he does for us, our clients, and the community. We’re grateful that an internship connected us, and we’re excited to see what other valued team members may come to us in the form of interns.

 

What internship positions are open and how do I apply? 

Coastal Science Internship: Batture is working on a Living Shoreline project and several other coastal initiatives that will provide a unique learning experience. The job will be approximately 50% field work and 50% office work, but can vary widely.

Minimum Requirements:

  • College courses completed in environmental engineering, biology, or other earth sciences.
  • Software comprehension of excel, PowerPoint, GIS, and/or other general and specific computer skills are useful for designing and executing coastal and green infrastructure projects in SE Louisiana.
  • Strong interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills.
  • Ability and willingness to work cooperatively with project team members in a high-energy working environment that encourages self-initiative.
  • Ability to lift 50 pounds.
  • Acceptable driving record.

Please submit a cover letter and resume with relevant coursework and program experience to info@batture-eng.com by the deadline of March 31, 2023.

 

Structural Design Internship: Batture is looking for a civil engineer student intern who has completed at least 3 years of undergraduate coursework with an interest in structural design. The intern must be available to work in the New Orleans area for the summer of 2023 and would help design and draft residential and commercial buildings as well as learn about the processes and work involved with new construction and renovations under the guidance of licensed engineers. The ideal candidate would be a motivated individual who possesses a willingness to learn.  The work will mainly involve calculations and drafting in the office, but also includes off-site work such as site visits and meetings.

Minimum Requirements:

  • Completion of Junior level coursework from an accredited institution.
  • Legally Authorized to work in the United States.
  • College courses completed in structural design including Concrete, Steel, and Mechanics of Materials.
  • Strong interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills.
  • Ability and willingness to work cooperatively with project team members in a high-energy working environment that encourages self-initiative.

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Software comprehension of AutoCAD, RISA, and/or Revit (or similar drafting software).

Please submit a cover letter and resume with relevant coursework and program experience to info@batture-eng.com by the deadline of March 31, 2023

 

Landscape Architecture Internship:Batture is looking for a Landscape Architecture intern. We design green infrastructure and stormwater management plans for streets, parks, coastal restoration, etc. for private and public projects. The intern will have the opportunity to work alongside both landscape architects and civil engineers in all aspects of the process from research and community engagement through construction administration.

Minimum Requirements:

  • Junior, Senior, or Candidate for a Master’s in an accredited Landscape Architecture Program
  • Strong interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills.
  • Willingness to work cooperatively with project team members in a high-
  • energy working environment that encourages self-initiative.
  • Positive and enthusiastic attitude towards learning.
  • Ability to adapt and handle multiple projects as needed

Preferred skills:

  • AutoCAD
  • Adobe Creative Suite
  • ArcGIS
  • Bluebeam
  • Knowledge of green infrastructure

Please submit a cover letter, resume, and portfolio to info@batture-eng.com by the deadline of March 31, 2023.

 

Civil Engineering Internship: The job will be approximately 5% field work and 95% office work. Daily tasks will include, but not be limited to, drafting, meetings, occasional site visits, and assisting Project Engineers as needed.

Minimum Requirements:

  • College coursework completed in regard to civil engineering, environmental engineering, land surveying, AutoCAD, and/or construction management.
  • Genuine interest in the field of site development, green infrastructure, roadway engineering, and stormwater management.
  • Basic software comprehension of CAD and general computer skills in Microsoft Office.
  • Potential to understand how drawings work in plan, profile, cross-section, and detail views.
  • Strong interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills.
  • Ability to work cooperatively in an upbeat and friendly team working environment and to treat all team members, regardless of position, with respect.
  • Positive and enthusiastic attitude towards learning.
  • Capability to adapt and handle multiple projects as needed.

Please submit a cover letter and resume with relevant coursework and program experience to info@batture-eng.com by the deadline of March 31, 2023. 

 

Land Survey Technician Internship: We’re looking for a Land Survey Technician Intern to support our efforts in providing a full range of surveying services for our clients, from property boundary surveys to geodetic control surveys. The job will be approximately 90% field work and 10% office work. 

Minimum Requirements:

  • College courses completed in land surveying or a related field.
  • Recent work experience of a least one year doing land surveying fieldwork, especially property boundary location.
  • Working knowledge of survey instruments.
  • Knowledge of data collectors, total stations, and GPS receivers.
  • Software comprehension of AutoCAD, Civil3D and general computer skills.
  • Strong interpersonal, oral and written communication skills.
  • Ability and willingness to work cooperatively with project team members in a high-energy working environment that encourages self-initiative.
  • Ability to lift 50 pounds.
  • Acceptable driving record.

Please submit a cover letter and resume with relevant coursework and program experience to info@batture-eng.com by the deadline of March 31, 2023.