The Louisiana State Office of Historic Preservation has signaled that they are prepared to continue working with Levees.org and try, for the second time, to list the catastrophic breach site of the 17th Street Canal to the National Register of Historic Places.

Last year, Levees.org attempted to nominate both the 17th Street Canal breach site that flooded the Lakeview neighborhood of New Orleans, and also the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal that flooded the Lower Ninth Ward neighborhood. The Army Corps owns the site of the latter breach site and blocked the entire nomination from being listed on the prestigious register.

However, the Corps does not own the site of the 17th Street Canal breach site, and therefore, under the rules of the Department of the Interior, shall not be able to offer comment.

“We will be pleased to conduct our technical review of your completed draft nomination and provide our opinion/advice regarding meeting the eligibility requirements as well as the adequacy of your documentation,” wrote Ms. Pam Breaux, historic preservation officer in an email to Levees.org last week.

While the breach of the 17th Street Canal may not be a shining moment in the history of American civil engineering, it is nonetheless, a historic event.

According to Dr. Alexandria “Lexie” Lord, chief of the National Landmark Program, the National Park Service is interested in both the good and bad in American history. Dr. Lord made this observation August 21, 2013 in a webinar sponsored by the NPS on “Significance.” Dr. Lexie used the Sage Memorial Hospital nomination as an example.