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Resident urges Cameron Parish to oppose Toledo Bend water sales; jurors to draft resolution
Summary
At the Oct. 6 Cameron Parish Police Jury meeting, resident Al Jenkins urged jurors to oppose out-of-state sales of Toledo Bend water and asked the jury to prepare a resolution; jurors agreed to draft language for legal review and consider the item in November.
Al Jenkins, a Cameron Parish resident, urged the Police Jury on Oct. 6 to adopt a resolution opposing any sale of Toledo Bend water outside Louisiana, citing documents he said show a 2022 letter of intent and a proposal to allow incremental expansion of water exports.
"They intend on selling all of the water," Jenkins said, urging jurors to sign a resolution that would declare the parish opposed to out-of-state sales and to coordinate with other parishes. He said FOIA records and a questionnaire show plans for a system built to allow "incremental expansions over time if additional water volumes are sold or contracted." Jenkins asked the jury to consult legislators and to pursue an executive order and later legislation to block out-of-state transfers.
Jurors and staff responded that they share concern and that any resolution would be reviewed by parish legal staff. S3 (juror) told Jenkins the parishes along the river must approve such sales and said, "I don't know of any parish that would vote against this." Staff and jurors discussed preparing a draft resolution, vetting it with legal counsel, and placing it on the November agenda for formal consideration.
The public comment also included technical and legal assertions Jenkins attributed to a 1951 compact; Jenkins warned of long-term impacts on local water supplies, saltwater intrusion and industrial users if export arrangements were finalized. Jurors asked staff to obtain and review the documents Jenkins referenced. Staff agreed to run the draft resolution through legal and to coordinate with legislators and neighboring parishes.
No formal vote or resolution was adopted at the Oct. 6 meeting. The jury agreed to have staff and legal prepare a draft resolution for consideration in November and to continue outreach with legislators and other parishes.
What’s next: Jury staff will draft a resolution, run it by legal counsel, and bring the item back for consideration in the November meeting; Jenkins and other residents said they will share supporting documents with the jury.
