Gov. John Bel Edwards is announcing $34 million in federal funding for 13 flood risk reduction projects recommended by regions throughout the state as part of the Local and Regional Projects and Programs – Round 1. Steering committees for the state’s watershed regions recommended the projects for funding, which the Council on Watershed Management approved at its meeting today.

“This announcement is the latest in a series of watershed project awards, representing major investments in reducing flood risk and creating a more resilient Louisiana.” Gov. Edwards said. “In less than one year since the state received federal mitigation funding, we have announced more than $400 million in flood mitigation projects and will be announcing more in the coming months. Through the Louisiana Watershed Initiative, local and regional partners worked closely with the state to select Round 1 projects that will benefit communities statewide.”

Today’s Round 1 funding announcement follows $61.6 million awarded in May to 16 projects, as well as about $213 million awarded earlier this year for 20 state projects and programs, including seven buyout initiatives. All awarded projects align with the long-term resilience objectives of the Louisiana Watershed Initiative and the state’s $1.2 billion CDBG-MIT Action Plan.

The local and regional Round 1 projects and grantees awarded today are as follows:

Region 1

• $2.27 million for Foxskin Bayou Drainage Improvements, Haughton
• $3.43 million for East Natchitoches Drainage Improvements, Natchitoches Parish

Region 2

• $3.41 million for Drainage Crossing Replacements, Ball
• $2.59 million for Bayou Lacombe Channel Improvements, Mansura (shared with Region 5)

Region 3

• $2.68 million for Youngs Bayou Detention Pond, Monroe
• $2.68 million for portable pumps parishwide, Ouachita Parish
• $500,000 for Georgia Street Pump Station, Monroe

Region 4

• $630,900 for Ball Park Lift Station Replacement, Leesville

Region 5

• $3.1 million for Bayou Lacombe Channel Improvements, Mansura (shared with Region 2)
• $1 million for Cypress Bayou and Coulee LaSalle Drainage Improvements, St. Martin Parish
• $550,000 for Abbeville Area Vermilion River Bridge Debris Barrier System, Vermilion Parish

Region 6

• $2.1 million for Bayou Lafourche Pump Project, Ascension Parish
• $2.56 million for White Castle Canal Drainage Improvement Project, Iberville Parish

Region 7

• $6 million for Jones Creek Detention Project, East Baton Rouge Parish

Immediately after today’s Round 1 announcement, the state launched Round 2, which includes a $100 million Design Support Pilot to address technical issues with Round 1 applications and support building local and regional project development capacity.

In addition, the state’s eight watershed regions submitted final recommendations to the council today on frameworks for regional floodplain management to guide the creation of long-term, regional watershed coalitions. The recommendations request statewide legislation to create these regional watershed entities.

To support implementation of these coalitions, the council approved Phase 2 of the Regional Capacity Building Grant program today. Phase 2 of the RCBG program allocates another round of funding—$800,000 per region—totaling $6.4 million for continued regional, watershed-based planning and coordination for the next four years.

For more information about LWI, visit the website or email watershed@la.gov.