[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6135901,"mediaKeyId","5670570-71071684211157b16532692320654c28","parentId",5670570,"title","Calcasieu Parish rolls out parish‑wide watershed planning: 600 project nominations, 60 modeled alternatives, and an emphasis on maintenance","audioSeconds",2967,"startMs",2700000,"endMs",5667000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5670570-71071684211157b16532692320654c28&start=2700&end=5667","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5670570-71071684211157b16532692320654c28/thumbnail_2700000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6135901/Louisiana/Calcasieu-Parish-rolls-out-parishwide-watershed-planning-600-project-nominations-60-modeled-alternatives-and-an-emphasis-on-maintenance","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6135901-5436ed92ae7b8aca3a881eb4c8a4e8a6/orig.mp4?Expires=1775218233&Signature=FCw76M1c~xxPwZwe9VNKUOZ5nKvNLKhgKPOm3A4iNRNt3X6lDi0oE9hPx5iXCPI-DH1CtfBi0FKI8a3AwpJiIWs8ohwR9V99AMllJ685axp0e3jngtAtFt88gOcyYda59aJqJwi4I5W2RkvsaotvI-zZqmSRL37Y~o-WhqD~99Xcv0ugGY7lPUnQsI9tWhZ~r1k04s8mJaYNUH1Rq9PV0f3kQu72xB~CPlOH3YJQDi-naHn4-Xvd6AbZKDhCFfd2n3TF0qhOsdekw3HkZxqciEdKNPyCghd0bcA1zJvNzwmzCc7GEPobM-QMG4oItca-WqF3ovf0vUS2M8ggPiFqUg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Louisiana Legislature","date","2025-08-19T00:00:00Z","article","Calcasieu Parish officials and consultant CH Finstemaker told the Louisiana Resilience Task Force they completed a parish‑wide watershed planning effort that the parish is using to prioritize projects, change policy and expand day‑to‑day operational tools.

The parish built detailed hydrologic and hydraulic models at a smaller watershed (HUC‑12) scale than some state mapping, ran current and 50‑year future scenarios (including relative sea‑level rise and changing rainfall intensities), and used those results to prescreen more than 600 project proposals down to a shorter priority list. The team said roughly 60 projects were modeled in detail and that some large ‘‘heavy lift’’ projects (for example pump stations and channel improvements) were modeled as combinations to capture system interactions.

Why it matters: Calcasieu said modeling revealed that many projects perform differently under future‑conditions scenarios, and that some projects create adverse impacts unless paired with complementary measures (for example, a channel widening may require detention to avoid pushing floodwater downstream). The parish developed a project dashboard and a pre‑application fact sheet to speed grant applications and disaster response: presenters said the modeling helped them estimate post‑event damages quickly after May 2021 flooding (the team reported being within 50 houses of an observed count when a rapid model‑based estimate was produced).

Operational tools and policy: Calcasieu described a rain‑gauge network that now informs parish response and crew deployment, and argued that routine channel maintenance produced measurable operational benefits after Hurricane Laura debris removal; officials said the parish performed roughly $200 million in debris removal work after Laura and that cleaned laterals perform much better. The parish also said it had deconsolidated drainage districts to create two watershed‑based districts and that it is pushing policy changes such as higher freeboard recommendations (a study recommendation noted 2 feet above base flood elevation; the parish currently requires 1 foot) and limits on unchecked fill in floodplains.

Project examples and funding: Presenters cited a modeled pump station on Contraband Bayou with an estimated project cost around $100 million and an associated modeled damage reduction of roughly $155 million for a large modeled storm event. The team emphasized a ‘‘three P’’ approach—projects, policy and programs—plus implementation roadmaps and fact sheets designed to shorten pre‑application time for federal grants (HMGP, BRIC and others). Calcasieu staff told the task force they track dozens of capital projects (one staff member was described as managing 47 capital projects) and have implemented at least one regional detention pond funded locally while seeking larger sources.

What was not decided: No votes or formal policy adoptions occurred during the presentation. Several speakers urged continued funding and legislative support; parish staff said funding constraints remain the principal barrier to full implementation.

Ending: Calcasieu officials urged other parishes and municipalities to treat modeling as a day‑to‑day operational tool, not a shelved study, and to pair capital projects with maintenance and policy changes to avoid shifting flood impacts downstream.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Louisiana Resilience T. F. Aug 19, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Calcasieu Parish officials and consultant CH Finstemaker told the Louisiana Resilience Task Force they completed a parish‑wide watershed planning effort that the parish is using to prioritize projects, change policy and expand day‑to‑day operational tools.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature LA, Louisiana","taxId",78558,"location","Louisiana","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6135904,"City of Central cites living flood models, evacuation forecasting and stricter codes after 2016 floods",1220,416000,1636000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5670570-71071684211157b16532692320654c28&start=416&end=1636","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5670570-71071684211157b16532692320654c28/thumbnail_416000.jpg","/articles/6135904/Louisiana/City-of-Central-cites-living-flood-models-evacuation-forecasting-and-stricter-codes-after-2016-floods","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6135904-480bdbbdc1446dc5200e2b5aaa31eafe/orig.mp4?Expires=1775218233&Signature=gmRawdFe5MIiULwMUplfABs5NHUuQ6S9Ql1tLfnrwrDxyKB1GADGgb02A619dvBOkoY9B4radQkpK8TF0H3WzjpFiToQjQA~Y~wJm0Dcnl27k53s89s9RNuEeMT6k7sGtJLatbuK2qYZZKghSl6q0L7o7cYV8OK2ekAmOLWFPzPmc4dbWIdQI6gfUj9JbcILYWZLuqxbLHuKo-f~xAorAbXODMkQqTfQHPXxI7PoypoHCrHw5dzbH8N18958-RiFVBfSeZajPRxhN4dK5WNtB8eOalPfYAgb5UideipFwKsJFMJ3vtWNi0-Dko9imFPqfkqK6ziv4bMwzN8859HZpg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City of Central officials on the Louisiana Resilience Task Force meeting said they have turned post‑2016 flood modeling into local policy and tools aimed at reducing future damages and insurance costs. Mayor Wade Evans and Stoker Brown of engineering firm CSRS described a “living model” built from state and locally flown lidar, an off‑site drainage assessment that must be run for new development, higher detention requirements citywide, an expanded routine stream‑maintenance program, and an automated forecast‑driven flood warning system that runs accelerated hydraulic simulations to produce hourly outlooks for residents and responders.

Those efforts, Evans said, grew out of the ‘‘wake‑up call’’ of the August 2016 floods, when about 60% of structures in Central took water. The city used the state lidar flown in 2017 and subsequent local surveys to create two‑dimensional HEC‑RAS (2‑D) models to test proposed development and public projects and to produce maps the public can view through an online stormwater hub. ‘‘We developed an off‑site drainage analysis tool for our citizens . . . to ensure that there are no negative impacts neither upstream nor downstream,’’ Stoker Brown said.

Why it matters: Central officials say the combination of models, stronger regulations and public engagement has reduced citizen complaints and helped the city secure grants. CSRS reported the stormwater master plan identified about $135 million in proposed improvements; the city has secured roughly $60 million toward that list, and it is moving ahead locally on at least one smaller project rather than wait for federal funds that were later rescinded. The city also said it improved its FEMA Community Rating System (CRS) classification from a Class 7 to Class 5 in the latest revision, gaining insurance savings the presenters estimated at about a 25% discount that could amount to nearly $1 million a year for residents; officials said they plan to work with FEMA to earn additional CRS points.

Flood warning and forecasting: Central described an ‘‘Early Flows’’ system that ingests NOAA forecast rainfall and runs sped‑up hydraulic model simulations (every one to six hours depending on the forecast) to produce forecasted peak flood depths and maps available online. Brown said the system is fully automated and uses the same hydraulic models maintained as ‘‘living’’ datasets; he said the flood‑warning output was not yet counted for CRS points but is being pursued with FEMA in the next cycle.

Community engagement and regulations: The city said it has increased detention requirements, codified portions of its modeling in local drainage rules (including what it described as community‑defined flood hazard areas and conveyance zones), expanded building and stream setbacks, and requires 2‑D modeling for development proposals in key conveyance zones so proposed projects do not raise water‑surface elevations in modeled storms. The city runs twice‑annual drainage summits where residents can meet engineers and review model outputs for their addresses. Evans said those meetings have reduced opposition to development built under the city’s off‑site drainage assessment because residents can see modeled outcomes.

Funding and grant results: Evans and CSRS described applying to multiple federal programs (FMA, BRIC and other ‘‘alphabet soup’’ grants). The city reported it had been awarded a $40 million BRIC allocation that was later cancelled by federal action; officials said they are seeking ways to recover or reapply funds and are continuing to pursue other grants while underwriting at least one smaller project with local dollars. The presenters said the modeling and grant package demonstrated the city’s readiness to federal partners.

What was not decided: The presentation was informational; the transcript records no formal motions or votes. City staff said they will continue to pursue CRS points with FEMA and to seek grant funding and legislative assistance for regional projects.

Ending: Central officials urged other local governments to adopt similar model‑driven approaches, citing faster permitting, clearer public communications, insurance savings and a prevention‑focused maintenance program as the main outcomes of their work.

","City of Central officials on the Louisiana Resilience Task Force meeting said they have turned post‑2016 flood modeling into local policy and tools aimed at reducing future damages and insurance costs.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6135896,"Amite River Basin Commission unveils master plan, estimates $3.5–4 billion program could halve annual flood losses",3467,3503000,6970000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5670570-71071684211157b16532692320654c28&start=3503&end=6970","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5670570-71071684211157b16532692320654c28/thumbnail_3503000.jpg","/articles/6135896/Louisiana/Amite-River-Basin-Commission-unveils-master-plan-estimates-354-billion-program-could-halve-annual-flood-losses","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6135896-528597117e294faf0cd7c8ffad75e8e5/orig.mp4?Expires=1775218233&Signature=MZSlkZnyK-wm1b2HMMN~ZrIzb73BzpSHDe80ksvNDgc2Vl8f3kKry9m5HMeQHWEc2MoSbG9xigjE4pYHMGIZy7rhdIkcvwjo7Xl5mhmWEUYwjUYlMr3FMfP3AEik~fcR5B665YQ6qiY3aTrvVCKL7LRw3F9gfZ1LiLm2au~jy0ZrK1-HvCU8zEafYZMav1NImze3sGXXluuM1aqOHS-GnKpeW7cPQ3sg70OGCyBMSSnSqdceYeF8sJKzXDkYFZ-K5z7H3ejj48td-JXA~ZvZrQGLy4~Ss9YJDenB6I4Oky3duK2AU0sk1ie7voa55ENMOiK1pRuD5xGJQsYfFGZJPQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Amite River Basin Commission presented a basin‑scale master plan to the Louisiana Resilience Task Force and described a new phase of multi‑parish cooperation to turn decades of study into projects. Executive Director Paul Sawyer said the commission had been reconstituted by the 2022 legislature (Act 490) and that the master plan was intended to be a basin‑level counterpart to the state coastal master plan.

Master plan findings: Sawyer told the task force the basin’s average annual flood damages are roughly $210 million per year based on historical events and that, without action, the commission estimates average annual losses could increase to about $550 million. He said the master plan’s estimated cost is about $3.5–4.0 billion and that fully implemented measures would cut expected annual losses by more than half. The commission also estimated the potential for about $25 million per year in avoided flood‑insurance premiums if updated modeling and mitigation reduce mapped risk for many structures.

Why it matters: The Amite River Basin spans seven parishes (East Feliciana, St. Helena, East Baton Rouge, Livingston, Ascension, Iberville and St. James) and includes both upland, flashy tributaries in the north and tidal/coastal influences in the southern reaches. Sawyer emphasized the basin’s dynamics: projects that move water faster upstream can increase downstream damages unless coordinated, and backwater/tide effects in the lower basin complicate solutions. The commission’s work aims to coordinate parishes that historically acted independently so projects do not simply shift risk across boundaries.

Project and program types: The master plan runs a menu of actions: restoration of river meanders and conveyance, regional detention and reservoirs in the upper basin, diversion projects (the Comite River Diversion Canal is a Corps‑led, ongoing example), pump stations and targeted channel improvements, and policy and mapping updates. Sawyer described legacy federal projects (including the Comeite River Diversion authorization) and urged the legislature and federal partners to prioritize implementation and funding.

Funding and timeline: Sawyer described the master plan as ‘‘historic’’ in scope, and he said the commission has begun converting some master‑plan concepts to projects. He noted that previous large projects have taken decades (the Comite River Diversion Canal authorization and rising construction cost were cited) and that the commission needs sustained funding and political coordination across parishes to deliver action in the near term.

What was not decided: The presentation provided no new statutory authorities or appropriations; it described the plan, the commission’s governance and a project pipeline. Sawyer asked for continued legislative and federal support but did not present a formal funding vote or action at the task‑force meeting.

Ending: Sawyer asked that state and federal partners use the Amite River Basin master plan as a guide for multi‑parish investments, stressing that a coordinated basin approach is required to avoid unintended downstream impacts and to realize economic and safety benefits for residents.

","Paul Sawyer, executive director of the Amite River Basin Commission, told the Louisiana Resilience Task Force the commission has completed a master plan and is moving toward multi‑parish cooperation and project delivery; the plan estimates average annual flood damages of about $210 million that could rise to $550 million if nothing is done, and a","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Calcasieu Parish rolls out parish‑wide watershed planning: 600 project nominations, 60 modeled alternatives, and an emphasis on maintenance

City of Central cites living flood models, evacuation forecasting and stricter codes after 2016 floods

Amite River Basin Commission unveils master plan, estimates $3.5–4 billion program could halve annual flood losses