Atchafalaya River dredging funds expanded

About $4 million in additional funding for Atchafalaya River dredging projects is now included in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 2015 fiscal year spending plan, U.S. Sen. David Vitter said in a news release Tuesday.
Vitter, R-La., chairman of the Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure, announced that several Louisiana projects received additional funds in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ fiscal year 2015 spending plan, which is a requirement of Congress in the fiscal year 2015 Omnibus Appropriations Act, the release said.
Included in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 2015 fiscal year spend plan is funding for Atchafalaya River operations and maintenance, the release said. The project will receive $4 million in addition to the $7.8 million provided in the fiscal year 2015 Omnibus spending bill, the release said.
Currently, the channel is operating below its authorized level, thus jeopardizing the operations of current businesses along the channel, the release said. The project would dredge the Atchafalaya River bar channel and bay, Crew Boat Cut, and Bayou Chene and Avoca Island, the release said.
The additional $4 million will be used within the Port of Morgan City’s district, Port of Morgan City Executive Director Raymond “Mac” Wade said. The funding will go towards Atchafalaya River Bar Channel dredging the next time the channel needs to be dredged probably within the next six to eight months, Wade said.
“And then we’ll have our funds for 2016, and we’ll be able to add to it. And we’ll be able to get the channel clean again,” Wade said. The $4 million will go a long way along with more money the port gets for dredging, Wade said. The additional funds were acquired through the Louisiana Congressional delegation’s efforts to send letters to the corps emphasizing the need to prioritize dredging projects, Wade said.
“Louisiana’s ports and waterways are at the center of transporting goods and services to the rest of the county. Maintaining and updating our ship channels, levees, and canals is critical for two reasons,” Vitter said in the news release. “First, it helps restore our coastline and protects Louisianans from storms and flooding, and secondly, it allows commerce to flow freely. These projects will create jobs, boost the local economy, and help to prevent future natural and ecological disaster to south Louisiana.”
In 2014, Vitter’s legislation, the Water Resources and Reform Development Act, was signed into law, the release said. Several provisions in the final bill made additional funds possible for the projects announced Tuesday, the release said.