Coastal bill boosts Morganza

A bi-partisan meeting of the minds on a U.S. Senate bill concerning water resources is being seen as an important step toward future flood protection in the Tri-parish region.

The agreed-upon markup of this year’s Water Resources Development Act by the Senate’s Environment and Public Works Committee, local officials said, brings the potential for federal money for the Morganza-to-the-Gulf Project a step closer to reality. The road to securing such money, they said, is still rough and long.

“It’s a huge step forward,” said Terrebonne Levee and Conservation District Director Reggie Dupre.

The WRDA markup means that the committee has agreed on the direction Congress should go with respect to various aspects of water resource management, in matters of the environment, navigation, flood protection and hydrology, among other things.

The WRDA does not provide funding for specific projects, but it does serve as a green light for communities to seek certain types of aid. Dupre likened it to obtaining a hunting license, which allows you to then seek your prize.

“There is not much they could do except write us a check that would make me encouraged,” said levee district chairman Jack Moore. “But it’s another process in our favor as long as it moves in that direction, and it’s better than where we have been.”

The last time a WRDA bill was passed by Congress, in 2007, it was vetoed by President George W. Bush. Congress over-rode that veto.

WRDA had been criticized by some congress members as legislation subject to pork-barrel provisions.

Approvals related to Morganza were not in the mix.

Sen. David Vitter R-La was a key mover of the new 2013 bill, the first since 2007, as was the committee’s chairwoman, Barbara Boxer D- Ca. That both Vitter and Boxer were able to work together is seen by some political observers as a hope for future bi-partisanship in a very divided Washington, D.C. Boxer is chairwoman of the committee. Vitter is the ranking Republican member.

But both Vitter and Boxer have key projects that they wish to see move ahead. For Boxer it’s flood control in the Sacramento region, for Vitter it’s Morganza.

Terrebonne voters chose last year to tax themselves in order to have local components of Morganza built. Vitter noted prior to the WRDA bill agreement that the project has been studied for nearly 20 years and still no report from the Army Corps of Engineers has emerged after tens of millions of dollars spent, with a lot of that coming from state and local coffers.

Sen. Mary Landrieu D-La does not serve on the committee but is watching the WRDA developments closely.

“As this legislation moves to the floor, I will work with Sens. Boxer and Vitter to further address important priories for Louisiana,” Landrieu said, noting that an important federal goal is more generous budgeting for the corps.

“The current corps budget of $1.7 billion could easily be spent in Louisiana alone, and is not nearly enough to address the national need,” Landrieu said.

David Vitter