Rep. Carter Celebrates Important Resources for Louisiana in Water Bill
December 10, 2024
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-LA), member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, voted to pass the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) in the House. WRDA is passed by every session of Congress and authorizes and funds the U.S. Army Corps of Engineer’s activities for flood control, navigation, and ecosystem restoration.
“I proudly voted for this bill to help communities like LA-02 strengthen water resources infrastructure,” said Rep. Carter. “Water is the lifeblood of our nation’s economy, public health, and environment. In Louisiana we also know that we must plan comprehensively to manage water in our communities safely. WRDA is the mechanism Congress uses to provide flood protection in south Louisiana and build a stronger, healthier water system for our nation. I am proud to have achieved big wins for Louisiana in this important bill.”
Congressman Carter requested and won the inclusion of specific priorities and projects within this legislation to help improve daily life for his constituents and all Louisiana residents. These include:
Water Resource Development Act Provisions for LA-02:
• Authorized feasibility study of the New Orleans area saltwater intrusion issue - In 2023, extended drought conditions in the Mississippi River and Ohio River watersheds brought the Mississippi River’s flow in south Louisiana to near historic lows. The lack of flow from the river allowed a saltwater wedge from the Gulf of Mexico to push its way upriver toward the New Orleans metro area. New Orleans and the surrounding parishes and municipalities get their municipal water supply from the river. If the saltwater reached water intakes it would have threatened the ability to provide drinkable water for months. This bill authorizes a Corps feasibility study to explore projects to prevent future saltwater intrusion and positions the region to secure a Corps-approved prevention project.
• Hurricane Storm Disaster Risk Reduction System (HSSDRS) payback clarification - Clarifies that Louisiana has met its payback obligations for the HSDRRS system, the Greater New Orleans area flood control and levee system, through the state’s first two payments to USACE totaling $800 million. This clarification saves the state potentially hundreds of millions of dollars in additional payments and interest.
• Extension of Sec. 1020 authority through 2030 – Section 1020 provides authority for a non-Federal sponsor to transfer excess credit from one civil works project to another. Louisiana intends to use this authority to secure credit for the HSDRRS payback by transferring excess credit from Louisiana Coastal Area (LCA) efforts to the balance owed by HSDRRS.
• Lafourche Parish Levee System – Authorized a Corps study to provide recommendations for levees systems constructed to federal standards, but not constructed by the USACE, to become a federally recognized levee system. This will help local levee systems, like the South Lafourche Levee District, which constructed much of their levee system without the USACE, to become compliant in the view of the federal government and eligible for future federal support.
• Authorized feasibility study for the Lake Pontchartrain Barrier Project - The Lake Pontchartrain Barrier project is included within Louisiana’s 2023 Coastal Master Plan and has risk reduction benefits across an entire region. The project could install closure gates and weirs to an elevation of 2 feet across the passes at Chef Menteur, the Rigolets, and other minor passages for storm surge risk reduction within the Lake Pontchartrain Basin.
• Upper Barataria Basin and Morganza to the Gulf project tie-in - The 7-mile gap between the Morganza to the Gulf and Upper Barataria Basin projects is the only area without planned structural hurricane protection from Terrebonne Parish to the New Orleans HSDRRS System. This bill requires that the Corps evaluate measures to close this gap, aiming to provide continuous risk reduction for most coastal southeastern Louisiana residents.
• Extension of Authorization for West Bank Vicinity Project to 2033 - In 2014, the Corps was authorized to lift levees that have settled below the design grade. This authority, set to expire in 2028, is now extended to 2033, allowing the Corps to maintain the West Bank levee system at 100-year storm protection levels.
• Extension of 3017 authority to lift HSDRRS (WBV & LPV) levees to 2033- This extension will allow corps to lift levees that settle below design grade to restore the project to the authorized level of protection through 2033.
• Continuation of Non-Federal Implementation Pilot Program (Section 1043) to 2030 - The Non-Federal Project Implementation Pilot Program allows local Corps project partners, like the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, to execute and construct federally authorized projects. Given local interest in utilizing this program for major flood protection projects, this program is extended though 2030.
• Algiers Canal Levees Operations & Maintenance – Rep. Carter successfully added language for the USACE to assume responsibility for the operation and maintenance on the Algiers Canal levees section of the WBV project, saving the Plaquemines Parish and Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-West hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.
• Delta Regional Authority (DRA) Reauthorization, Addition of Terrebonne Parish – The DRA was established in 2000 as a formal framework for joint federal-state collaboration to promote and encourage the economic development of the lower Mississippi River and Alabama Black Belt regions. To fulfill this purpose, DRA invests in projects supporting transportation infrastructure, basic public infrastructure, workforce training, and business development. Terrebonne Parish, previously excluded from the program, will now be eligible for additional workforce development and economic development funding through the DRA. The parish is home to Fletcher Technical Community College andother workforce development centers utilized by the surrounding region.
• U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) Reauthorization – The EDA leads the federal economic development agenda by promoting innovation and competitiveness, preparing American regions for growth and success worldwide. Despite EDA’s increased role in recent years and significant changes to the U.S. economy, the agency has not been reauthorized since 2004. WRDA includes priorities from bills Rep. Carter has filed, including:
• Planning grants - This bill expands the eligible uses of grants for economic development planning and administrative expenses to include leveraging private and philanthropic investment and preparing economic recovery plans in response to disasters. In 2023, Rep. Carter introduced the bipartisan Economic Empowerment Through Predevelopment Act to make these grants available.
• Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience – This legislation alsoestablishes this office within EDA to improve national economic security and better support communities after hurricanes, wildfires, flooding, and other disasters.
Read the full WRDA here.
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