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Amite River Basin Commission weighs support for bill extending Scenic Rivers exemption to Bayou Manchac and Comite
Summary
Commission staff presented a resolution urging support for HB172, which would extend an existing Louisiana Scenic Rivers Act exemption to Bayou Manchac and the Comite River area and move its expiration from 2026 to 2030 to align with Louisiana Watershed Initiative funding timelines.
The Amite River Basin Commission heard staff describe a resolution asking the commission to back House Bill 172, legislation that would extend an existing exemption under the Louisiana Scenic Rivers Act to Bayou Manchac and the Comite River area and extend the exemption’s expiration from 2026 to 2030.
Staff told commissioners the Scenic Rivers Act restricts many types of in-water work, including flood-fighting or flood-reduction activities, and that the current exemption — originally placed in law to allow necessary flood-work — is set to expire in 2026. "Representative Kathy Edmonston has taken the initiative to extend the deadline ... to 2030, which coincides with the time frame in which Louisiana Watershed Initiative money needs to be spent," the staff member said during the meeting.
The staff member said the exemption previously enabled work in waterways such as Bayou Manchac and the Comite River Diversion Canal and noted that losing the exemption could prevent planned flood-control and restoration work. The resolution before the commission would formally express the commission’s support for HB172 and the extension to 2030.
The transcript records the staff explanation and a call for a motion but does not record a formal vote or the names of any movers or seconders. The commission did not state a recorded outcome on the resolution in the provided transcript segment.
Why it matters: the Scenic Rivers Act limits in-water activities to preserve waterways. Extending the exemption would allow the commission and its contractors to perform flood-risk reduction and restoration projects in Bayou Manchac and the Comite corridor during the period when Louisiana Watershed Initiative funds are expected to be available.
Remaining details not specified in the transcript include whether the commission formally voted on the resolution during this session and any planned schedule for submitting the commission’s support to the legislature.
