U.S. Congressman Garret Graves (South Louisiana) announced the following key Louisiana projects received funding that will address our dredging, levee, flood protection and infrastructure priorities. The work plan is the regular release of how the Army Corps will be funding its projects, after the passage of the annual congressional spending bill.
Nearly $600 million in investment in Louisiana water resources is coming this year. Highlights include:
$28 million for hurricane protection in Terrebonne and Lafourche Parishes through the Morganza-to-the-Gulf project
$1.3 million to progress new designs for the Bayou Sorrel lock redesign and Houma Navigation Canal deepening
$2.5 million to continue developing a new system to manage water on the Mississippi and Atchafalaya river systems
Over $80 million in the Atchafalaya Basin (including dredging)
$210 million to dredge the Mississippi River from Baton Rouge to the Gulf
This funding is in addition to the record funding Graves secured for the Comite Flood Control Project (Capital Region), West Shore Hurricane Protection Project (River Parishes), and others.
“There are some big wins in here for Louisiana, but large challenges remain," said Congressman Graves. "The Florida Everglades will receive $429 million this year alone and the Corps is diverting $350 million to build bridges in Massachusetts – when we have federal highway programs that already cover this need. Clearly, the Corps needs help properly prioritizing funding. The continued loss of our coast and vulnerability to flooding must remain a state and national priority. We cannot lose focus here.”
Other important priorities receiving construction, study, dredging, and maintenance funding supported by Congressman Graves include:
Construction:
$18,000,000 for upgrades and deepening at Calcasieu River and Pass, including dike construction
$4,875,000 for beneficial use of dredge materials through the Louisiana Coastal Area Ecosystem Restoration program, to support projects around the Calcasieu River
$20,000,000 to upgrade a SELA project drainage pump station
$20,356,000 for the Southwest Coastal project, including shoreline protection
Studies:
$500,000 in new start funding for the J. Bennett Johnston Waterway feasibility study
$250,000 to continue preconstruction engineering and design for the Mississippi River Gulf Outler (MRGO)
$2,240,000 to initiate preconstruction engineering and design for improvements to the West Bank and Vicinity project to support flood risk management
Mississippi River & Tributaries Levee Systems:
Lafitte Area Flood Risk Management: $600,000 to continue the feasibility study
Atchafalaya Basin Floodway System: $1,625,000 for operations and maintenance
Atchafalaya Basin: $19,055,000 to dredge and replace guide walls at Atchafalaya Basin Locks
Baton Rouge Harbor, Devil’s Swamp: $564,000 for dredging
Bayou Cocodrie: $52,000 for operations and maintenance
Bonnet Carre: $4,056,000 for operations and maintenance as well as the purchase, installation, and testing of equipment to support water control data systems
$596,000 to support assessments of seven existing levees
Lower Red River, South Bank Levees: $510,000
Mississippi Delta Region: $2,063,000
Old River: $23,840,000 for engineering and design and inspection for the structure dewatering
Tensas Basin, Red River Backwater: $2,702,000
Operations and Maintenance of Louisiana’s Waterways:
Houma Navigation Canal: $5,769,000 to maintain the current channel. Graves continues to push to ensure that deepening the channel is synced with the completion of the new Houma Navigation Canal Lock Structure. This is an increase of $2 million from last year’s work plan
Bayou Teche: $564,000,000, of which $510,00,000 will go toward further dredging.
Caddo Lake: $219,000
Calcasieu River Pass $ $54,861,694 to maintain the existing channel and support donor and energy transfer port activities.
Freshwater Bayou: $18,277,000
J Bennett Johnston Waterway: $52,284,000, replacing anodes on tainter valves and miter gates, dredging, and gate replacement of the Boggs Lock and Dam.
Lake Providence Harbor: $1,834,000
Madison Parish Port: $258,000
Mermentau River: $10,971,000, including funding for the Schooner Bayou elevated warehouse and equipment replacement
Mississippi River Outlets, Venice: $13,823,000 for additional dredging
$4,966,887 to support Donor and Energy Transfer Ports in the Mississippi River Ship Channel
