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ARBC says NRCS proposal imminent; multiple diversion and bridge contracts underway
Summary
Chief adviser Paul Sawyer told commissioners the ARBC will submit a proposal to NRCS to draw down funds for the Upper Amite restoration and reported the Highway 19 bridge is about 25% complete, the Comite River diversion piles are being driven, the diversion structure is 20% complete and Brooks Lake closure is about 50% complete.
Paul Sawyer told the Amite River Basin Commission that staff "will be submitting [a] proposal to the NRCS this week or next week to start drawing down those funds," characterizing that as an initial step that may require iterative review by headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Sawyer gave line‑item status updates across several projects. He said the Highway 19 bridge construction is progressing and is about 25% complete; on the Corps of Engineers side several excavation and large‑scale construction contracts are underway (five outstanding contracts remain). He also reported the diversion structure work is partially complete — Sawyer said the diversion structure piles are being driven and the structure is about 20% complete — and that Brooks Lake Closure (the outfall guide levee) is about 50% complete.
On outreach, Sawyer said ARBC has engaged local and regional media ahead of the 10th anniversary of the 2016 flood and is promoting the master plan and related project progress. He also reminded commissioners about an August 31 Comite/Amite diversion task force meeting and said commissioners and partners may conduct site flyovers to view construction progress.
Commissioners asked clarifying questions about schedules, funding deadlines and next steps; Sawyer noted some funding timelines and grant deadlines that require action this year. The report frames ARBC's immediate priorities as finalizing the NRCS proposal, completing site prep at the Saint Helena pilot site and coordinating with federal and state partners on active construction contracts.
