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ARBC project reports: four Region 9 projects advancing as Comite diversion faces utility relocation delays
Summary
Commissioners reported progress on four watershed initiative projects — Bayou Manchac/Ward’s Creek, Lower Amite River, West Shore connection levee, and New River pump station — while work on the Comite River Diversion remains delayed by Florida Gas utility relocations, pushing possible completion into 2026–27.
Commissioners on Jan. 14 reviewed status updates on four regional projects selected under the Louisiana Watershed Initiative and discussed utility‑related delays on the Comite River Diversion Canal.
Project updates: East Baton Rouge reported work on Bayou Manchac and Ward’s Creek modeling and application material with OCD; Livingston Parish said work on the Lower Amite channel restoration has survey and H&H model bases in place and noted environmental permit work is ongoing. Saint James reported the West Shore connection levee application and modeling were submitted and that permitting remains active; Ascension said the New River pump station application is submitted and that the parish has committed local funds (cited in the meeting as $21 million locally plus other commitments) to pair with LWI allocations.
Commissioners emphasized that these four projects are interrelated. Ascension Commissioner Quintma described the New River pump station as a regional action that will divert water under Highway 74 into a basin where a pump can move it to the Mississippi River, reducing impacts on neighboring parishes. Livingston’s commissioner said local taxpayers had already committed $5 million to start environmental and engineering work on the Lower Amite project; another commissioner said the project committee estimated roughly $50 million would complete the Lower Amite effort.
Comite River Diversion delay: Larry Marino and staff reported utility relocation work for the Comite diversion remains a gating issue. Florida Gas must complete relocation efforts before some channel construction items can begin; staff noted drilling and relocation work might not finish until June or July 2025 and that several procurement and construction tasks have long lead times (some items listed at 300–500 calendar days). Marino said that, depending on how Florida Gas relocations and permit clearances proceed, project completion could slip into 2026 or 2027.
Why it matters: Commission members said the four regionally prioritized projects work together to move water out of the basin or away from populated areas and that delays for one major project can cascade into others. Several commissioners voiced frustration with federal permitting and utility relocation timelines as impediments to turning design work into on‑the‑ground construction.
Ending: Commissioners asked staff and their federal and state partners to pursue ways to accelerate permitting and relocations where feasible; they reiterated the ARBC’s role in coordinating across parishes and agencies to keep projects moving.
