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ARBC adds Resolution 1184 and seeks to reallocate East Feliciana funds to Lower Amite River projects
Summary
The Amite River Basin Commission added Resolution 1184 to its agenda and approved a request to ask the Office of Community Development to repurpose conditional funding for the Upper Comite River (East Feliciana Parish) toward Lower Amite River work.
The Amite River Basin Commission on Jan. 14 voted to add and approve Resolution 1184, which instructs staff to work with the Office of Community Development (OCD) to seek reallocation of funding that had been conditionally approved for an Upper Comite River clearing and snagging project in East Feliciana Parish.
Commissioners said hydraulic modeling and a review by OCD had indicated the Upper Comite project did not demonstrate sufficient benefits to meet OCD’s requirements. President Clark told the commission the funding at issue is “to the tune of $26,000,000 and some change.” The commission’s project committee recommended repurposing the funds to support Lower Amite River work where members said the money would serve a broader regional benefit.
Why it matters: Commissioners said water from the upper and midbasin must travel through the Lower Amite River; addressing shoaling and “hot spots” there would help downstream drainage and improve outcomes for projects implemented elsewhere in the basin. Livingston Parish and other parishes have ongoing Lower Amite efforts that commission members said would benefit from additional funding.
Paul Sawyer, who has been engaged by the commission to help align basin work, said the resolution includes language recognizing continued coordination with East Feliciana Parish on flood‑risk initiatives even if the conditional funds are repurposed. “Notwithstanding the disposition of the East Feliciana funds … the commission will continue to work with East Feliciana Parish to identify flood risk reduction initiatives,” Sawyer said.
Commissioner Delotte and others described the Lower Amite effort as a regional priority; Delotte said local taxpayers and other funding sources had already contributed to environmental and engineering work on a proposed Lower Amite channel restoration. Commissioners emphasized the decision reflected a project committee consensus and that any fund redirection would be subject to OCD and other agency approvals.
The motion to add the resolution to the agenda and the subsequent motion to approve the resolution were both approved with no recorded opposition.
Ending: The commission approved Resolution 1184 and directed staff to pursue coordinated action with OCD and affected parishes; the motion noted that the commission will continue to work with East Feliciana Parish to identify alternative flood‑risk initiatives for that parish.
