WASHINGTON— US Senator Bill Cassidy, MD is asking for federal and state action on the Comite River Diversion Project, which could have prevented a significant amount of the damage that occurred last week from the unprecedented flooding.
“The Comite River Diversion Project is a $200 million project that could have saved billions in damage this past week,” said Dr. Cassidy. “I am urging the federal government to help us finish this project now rather than wait for the next big disaster to cost billions more in damages.”
The diversion project calls for the Corps of Engineers to build a drainage canal that connects the Comite River to the Mississippi River. The canal would be dug near the Baker area of East Baton Rouge Parish and would divert much of the water that flooded the areas of Central, Baker and Zachary to be emptied into the Mississippi.
The Amite River Basin Commission, which has been collecting a millage for the project, has $10 million available. About $60 million is necessary to begin work on the U.S. Highway 61 and Kansas City Southern Railroad Relocation, which is the next phase of this project. That money would be spent by the Corps of Engineers to build bridges and by the Department of Transportation and Development to pay for the relocation of utilities.
“If all $200 million were available, the Comite River Diversion Project could be completed in the next 3-4 years,” said Dr. Cassidy. “I am doing my utmost to obtain federal funding for this project and I urge the people of Louisiana to reach out to their state and national officials to ask them to prioritize this project as well.”
The project is broken up into 13 parts and requires the coordination of Louisiana’s Department of Transportation and Development, the Corps of Engineers and the parishes in which the canal will be located. Currently, 10 portions of the project are waiting to be Designed and Engineered (D&E) by the Corps and two other parts are nearing completion of D&E or are ready to begin building.
The full list of construction components for the Comite River Diversion Project is here and below:
Comite River Diversion Canal Project
The project is divided into 13 construction features to be contracted. They are roughly the following but are often paired together in different configurations. The amount of available funding and ability to gain title to land tends to dictate the order in which components are done.
There are also three minor roads in the path, two of which will receive small bridges.
The Amite River Basin Commission is responsible for developing the floodplain management plan.
The Department of Transportation and Development is responsible for right of way acquisition and mitigation sites.
1. Lilly Bayou control structure – Complete
2. U.S. Hwy. 61 and Kansas City Southern Railroad Relocation
Right of Way acquired
Mitigation available
Environmental completed by the Corps
Design and Engineering completed by the Corps
DOTD has to provide $20-$40M to reimburse utility and pipeline companies for relocation.
The Corps has to provide $25-$30M and let the contract
3. LA Hwy. 19 and Railroad Relocation
Right of Way has to be acquired
Mitigation may be available
Environmental completed by the Corps
Design and Engineering for the highway bridge underway by the Corps with estimated completion February 2017
Design and Engineering for the RR bridge has to be initiated by the Corps
DOTD has to relocate utilities
The Corps has to provide funding and let the contract
4. LA Hwy. 67 Relocation
Right of Way has to be acquired
Mitigation credits required
Environmental completed by the Corps
Design and Engineering has been awarded by the Corps
DOTD has to relocate utilities
The Corps has to provide funding and let the contract
5. LA Hwy. 964 Relocation
Right of Way has to be acquired
Mitigation credits required
Environmental completed by the Corps
Design and Engineering has been awarded by the Corps
DOTD has to relocate utilities
The Corps has to provide funding and let the contract
6. Bayou Baton Rouge Drop Structure
Right of Way has to be acquired
Mitigation may be available
Environmental completed by the Corps
Design and Engineering underway by the Corps with estimated completion December 2016
The Corps has to provide funding and let the contract
7. McHugh Road Drop Structure
Right of Way has to be acquired
Mitigation credits required
Environmental completed by the Corps
Design and Engineering has to be initiated by the Corps
The Corps has to provide funding and let the contract
8. Cypress Bayou Drop Structure
Right of Way has to be acquired
Mitigation credits required
Environmental completed by the Corps
Design and Engineering has to be initiated by the Corps
The Corps has to provide funding and let the contract
9. White Bayou Drop Structure
Right of Way has to be acquired
Mitigation has to be acquired
Environmental completed by the Corps
Design and Engineering has to be initiated by the Corps
The Corps has to provide funding and let the contract
10. Diversion Structure at the Comite River
Right of Way has to be acquired
Mitigation has to be acquired
Environmental completed by the Corps
Design and Engineering has to be initiated by the Corps
The Corps has to provide funding and let the contract
11. Brooks Lake Closure (Being Considered for Elimination)
Right of Way has to be acquired
Mitigation has to be acquired
Environmental completed by the Corps
Design and Engineering has to be initiated by the Corps
The Corps has to provide funding and let the contract
12. Main Channel, Guide Levees, and Low Flow Augmentation Pumps at Bayous
Right of Way has to be acquired
Mitigation has to be acquired
Environmental completed by the Corps
Design and Engineering has to be initiated by the Corps
The Corps has to provide funding and let the contract
13. Clearing and Snagging of Bayou Baton Rouge, White Bayou and Cypress Bayou North of the Diversion
Mitigation has to be acquired
Environmental completed by the Corps
Design and Engineering has to be initiated by the Corps, if any
The Corps has to provide funding and let the contract
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