Amite River Basin Commission approves Bayou Manchac flood control partnership

Michael Tortorich

Gonzales Weekly Citizen

• The Amite River Basin Commission approved a partnership to implement flood control measures for Bayou Manchac.

• The partnership includes Ascension, East Baton Rouge and Iberville parishes, along with the City of St. George.

The Amite River Basin Commission unanimously approved a resolution authorizing a partnership among multiple Baton Rouge area parishes to implement flood control measures for Bayou Manchac.

The parishes include Ascension, East Baton Rouge and Iberville, along with the City of St. George, according to an ARBC news release.

"The importance of this partnership can’t be overstated," ARBC President and Iberville Commissioner John Clark said in the announcement. "Bayou Manchac Restoration is a top priority in the Capital Region, and the Amite River Basin Commission is where parishes and municipalities come to collaborate on our most important flood challenges."

"Clearly, a team effort will help make Bayou Manchac Restoration a success," Ascension Parish President Clint Cointment said in the release. "This project, the LA 22 Gapping Project, our New River Pump project and countless other drainage improvements in Ascension Parish will significantly improve flood protection in the Lower Amite Basin."

The parishes joined forces years ago to clear debris from the bayou.

The bayou's watershed includes Bayou Fountain and Ward Creek in East Baton Rouge; Bayou Braud, Bayou Paul, Spanish Lake, and Alligator Bayou in Iberville Parish; and Bluff Swamp, Frog Bayou, Welsh Gully and Cotton Bayou in Ascension Parish.

ARBC's mission is to mitigate flood damage, coordinate river management and conserve and restore the natural resources of the Amite River Basin watershed.

The basin spans multiple parishes, including Ascension, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberville, Livingston, St. Helena and St. James.

Gonzales Weekly Citizen and Donaldsonville Chief, part of the USA Today Network of Louisiana, cover Ascension Parish and the greater Baton Rouge area. Follow at facebook.com/WeeklyCitizen and facebook.com/DonaldsonvilleChief.

Read Gonzales Weekly City here: https://www.weeklycitizen.com/story/news/2025/10/14/flood-control-partnership-includes-multiple-louisiana-parishes/86699902007/