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ARBC executive director gives timeline for Comite River diversion and East Baton Rouge Corps projects
Summary
Paul Sawyer told commissioners the Comite River Diversion Canal and a Corps of Engineers East Baton Rouge Parish flood-control program are moving forward slowly, with rough completion estimates in the 2028 timeframe; Sawyer also described LWI projects administered by parishes and the process to reallocate East Feliciana funds.
Paul Sawyer, executive director of the Amite River Basin Drainage and Water Conservation District, briefed the commission on two large regional efforts that cross local jurisdictional boundaries: the Comite River Diversion Canal and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers East Baton Rouge Parish flood-control project.
Sawyer said the combined investment in the basin from the diversion canal and other Corps work is substantial — about $1.2 billion — and that contractors and federal partners are making slow, methodical progress. On the Comite River Diversion Canal, Sawyer said the most time-consuming recent issue has been the relocation of a major interstate gas pipeline, which delayed excavation and construction of the diversion-control structure at the confluence of the Comite and Amite rivers. “I would just encourage commissioners to wrap your minds around 2028,” Sawyer said, calling 2028 an “educated guess” rather than an official completion date.
The Corps’ East Baton Rouge Parish Flood Control Project is a roughly $255 million operation Sawyer described as primarily clearing and snagging — work to remove obstructions and restore conveyance in several bayous that drain to the Amite River. He listed Bayou Fountain, Wards Creek and Jones Creek as three of the waterways in the project and said some sections, such as upper Jones Creek, require more engineered bank protection and environmental analysis and therefore will take longer. Sawyer said the project is expected to complete in the 2028 timeframe or later.
Sawyer also briefed commissioners on parish-administered projects funded through the Louisiana Watershed Initiative (LWI) and on efforts to reallocate funds originally allocated for East Feliciana Parish; he said the ARBC and East Feliciana have completed Office of Community Development closeout requirements and are working to determine reallocation steps. Commissioner Ed Parker was singled out for his role in reallocation discussions.
Why it matters: The Comite diversion canal and Corps clearing projects are large regional investments that affect conveyance across parish lines and will influence how local and basin-level projects are prioritized and sequenced.
Ending: Sawyer told commissioners staff will keep them updated and that more gradual, methodical progress should be expected between now and the estimated completion dates; he also said ARBC staff will schedule a meeting with facility planning and control to advance the district’s capital outlay allocation.
