Army Corps of Engineers Comite River Diversion
Project Website
PROJECT
FACT SHEET
Comite River Diversion Canal Project
(CRDC)
The Comite River Diversion
Canal Project evolved through this process and in the year 2000 the citizens of
the benefit area of the project-Taxing District- approved by a 2/3 majority a
10-year, 3 mill Ad-Valorem tax to provide for part of the non-federal match.
Subsequently a Project Cooperative Agreement between the USACE, State, ARBC and
East Baton Rouge Parish was signed on October 1, 2001 to begin construction of
the project.
The purpose of the Comite River Diversion Canal Project is to divert flood waters from the Upper Comite River to the Mississippi River. At its capacity the project will divert 20,000 cubic feet per second; this represents approximately 50% of the flood waters from the upper Comite River and approximately 2% of the Mississippi River at the discharge location. See plate 1.
The Baton Rouge Metropolitan
Area has experienced an explosive population growth in recent years primarily
as a consequence of the population displacement from the New Orleans area after
Hurricane Katrina, giving this flood control amelioration project an even more
important and urgent significance.
Authority
The authorities for the Comite River Diversion Channel Project are the Water
Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 1986 Public Law (PL) 99-662, which
established the cost sharing principles for the project, section 101(11) WRDA
of 1992, PL 102-580, dated October 31, 1992 (WRDA 1992), as amended and
reauthorized by Section 301(b)(5) of the WRDA 1996, PL 104-303 dated October
12, 1996, and as amended by Section 371 of WRDA 1999, PL 106-53 dated August
1999, with technical corrections to Section 371 of WRDA 1999 in Section 6 of PL
106-109 dated November 24, 1999, which is the main project authorization. The
Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 1986, established the cost sharing
for the project. The non-Federal cost shall include a mandatory 5% cost
contribution, the purchase of all lands, easements, rights-of-way, relocations
and disposal areas (LERRD's). The law also established that the non-Federal
cost at a minimum of 25% and a maximum of 50% of the total cost. Section 37 of
WRDA 1999 further modified cost sharing for the Comite Project to include the
cost of highway relocations as a cost shared feature.
Scope
The authorized project provided
for construction of a 12 mile long diversion channel from the Comite River to
the Mississippi River, a diversion structure at the Comite River, guide levees,
Lilly Bayou control structure, four drop structures at the intersections of the
diversion channel with McHugh Road, Bayou Baton Rouge, Cypress Bayou, and White
Bayou, and Highway and Railroad Bridges. Low-flow augmentation pumps at the
intercepted streams and an earthen closure at Brooks Lake, clearing and
snagging of Bayou Baton Rouge, White Bayou and Cypress Bayou north of the
diversion channel to reduce flooding in those areas. (see Army Corps of
Engineers Comite River Diversion Canal Project Website)
Estimated Cost (2008)
Federal
$134,000,000
Non-Federal
$ 53,000,000
State
(LADOTD)
$
43,000,000
ARBC
$ 10,000,000
Total
$187,000,000
U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers Capability for F.Y. 2008
The
capability of the US Army Corps of Engineers for the Comite River Diversion
Canal Project for F.Y. 2008 is $18,000,000.
Estimated Project Benefit
The
CRDC Project has an estimate Cost-Benefit ratio of 2.3. Once completed, the
project will reduce flooding stages substantially in East Baton Rouge,
Livingston and Ascension Parishes.
• Average
annual savings to a homeowner for a Flood Insurance Policy as a result of the
lowering of the flood stages:
Pre-Firm Homes benefiting
from flood stage lowerings with finished floor elevation below the BFE*(+/-
2ft.)
|
Insured market value of home |
Savings in annual premium |
Cost of a 3-mill tax |
Net annual savings to
homeowner |
|
$100,000 |
$224 - $351 |
$7.50 |
$216.50 – $343.50 |
|
$150,000 |
$284 - $411 |
$22.50 |
$261.50 - $388.50 |
|
$200,000 |
$343 - $470 |
$37.50 |
$305.50 - $432.50 |
|
$250,000 |
$392 - $519 |
$52.50 |
$339.50 - $466.50 |
*BFE =
Base Flood Elevation (100-year flood elevation)
Pre-firm
homes: Homes built before FEMA
regulations came into effect
•
Estimated flood stage
reductions during last six major floods if project would have been in place:
Date Estimated
Flood Stage Reduction
|
|
Comite
River @ Comite, LA (Joor) |
Amite River @ Denham Springs |
|
|
|
|
|
April 1977 |
4.3
ft. |
1.5
ft. |
|
April 1979 |
4.5
ft. |
1.5
ft. |
|
April 1983 |
4.0
ft. |
1.4
ft. |
|
January 1990 |
4.5
ft. |
1.5
ft. |
|
January 1993 |
4.3
ft. |
1.5
ft. |
|
January 1994 |
4.5
ft. |
1.5
ft. |
• Expected future stage lowerings with project in
place:
|
• Comite River at White Bayou 10 year flood 6.2
feet lower 25 year flood 6.1
feet lower 50 year flood 6.3
feet lower 100 year flood
6.2 feet lower |
• Comite River at Hooper Road 10 year flood 6.0
feet lower 25 year flood 5.7
feet lower 50 year flood 5.1
feet lower 100 year flood
4.4 feet lower |
|
• Comite River at Comite. LA. (Joor Rd) 10 year flood 4.8
feet lower 25 year flood 4.8
feet lower 50 year flood 4.3
feet lower 100 year flood 3.8
feet lower |
• Comite River at Hurricane Creek 10 year flood 4.2
feet lower 25 year flood 4.4
feet lower 50 year flood 4.1
feet lower 100 year flood 4.1
feet lower |
|
• Amite River at Denham Springs 10 year flood 1.5
feet lower 25 year flood 1.5
feet lower 50 year flood 1.4
feet lower 100 year flood 1.2
feet lower |
• Amite River at Port Vincent 10 year flood 0.8
feet lower 25 year flood 0.7
feet lower 50 year flood 0.6
feet lower 100 year flood 0.6
feet lower |
Source of Non-Federal
Funds
The
non-federal sponsors for construction of the project are the LADOTD and the
ARBC.
State
funds are obtained through annual appropriations through the State Capital
Outlay Program and the ARBC funds are obtained through a 10-year, 3 mil
Ad-Valorem tax of properties located within the benefit area of the project.
Once
completed, the CRDC will be maintained by local governments within the
District.
Due
to funding delays the project construction schedule had to be extended to the
year 2016.
Construction Progress to
Date
The
following is the status of the construction as of March 2008.
Construction
of the Lilly Bayou Control Structure is expected to be completed by the end of
2008. This is the largest structure of the project at a cost of $35,000,000.
U.S.
Hwy 67 Bridge, (Plank Road), is expected to begin construction at the end of
2008 or beginning of 2009.
Real
Estate acquisitions have been completed for a large portion of the west end of
the channel. As of March 2008, 400 acres have been acquired. This represents
approximately 20% of the total right-of-way needed for the project.
Also,
right-of-ways are being acquired for the U.S. Hwy 67 Bridge and necessary
mitigation areas along the Comite River north of the CRDC.