ARBC approves expanded partnership for $30M Bayou Manchac flood control project

Posted Wednesday, October 15, 2025 11:00 am

Tom Aswell | The News

The Amite River Basin Commission has unanimously approved adding the City of St. George to a major flood control partnership with Ascension, East Baton Rouge and Iberville parishes, according to ARBC President and Iberville Commissioner John Clark.

The resolution adds St. George to the three-parish, $30 million Bayou Manchac Restoration and Ward Creek Realignment Project. The initiative will restore natural channel features and realign where Ward Creek flows into Bayou Manchac to improve drainage in this major urban watershed.

While Livingston Parish is not a direct partner in this specific project, the improvements are expected to benefit the parish indirectly. Bayou Manchac runs through the three participating parishes before emptying into the Amite River, meaning better drainage in the lower basin could help reduce flood pressure throughout the Amite River system, including areas upstream in Livingston Parish.

"The importance of this partnership can't be overstated," Clark said. "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."

Regional flood protection effort

Ascension Parish President Clint Cointment said the partnership, combined with the LA-22 Gapping Project, the New River Pump project and other drainage improvements in Ascension Parish, "will significantly improve flood protection in the Lower Amite Basin."

The parishes came together several years ago to clear debris from Bayou Manchac. "And now we welcome St. George to the team," said Fred Raiford, East Baton Rouge City-Parish transportation and drainage director.

East Baton Rouge Parish alone has invested nearly $1.3 billion in flood protection through the Comite Diversion Canal, the Five Bayous project and numerous improvements in the Thrive Plan.

Bayou Manchac forms St. George's entire southern border from the Mississippi River to the Amite River. The city will assist with project monitoring, while East Baton Rouge Parish continues to lead the overall effort. Modeling is essential to designing the most effective protection features.

Watershed scope

The Bayou Manchac Watershed includes:

• East Baton Rouge: Bayou Fountain and Ward Creek

• Iberville Parish: Bayou Braud, Bayou Paul, Spanish Lake and Alligator Bayou

• Ascension Parish: Bluff Swamp, Frog Bayou, Welsh Gully and Cotton Bayou

The project is a top ARBC goal, supported by multiple commission resolutions that have submitted the project for Louisiana Watershed Initiative funding, committed the ARBC to its completion, allocated $30 million in funding and endorsed state legislation to facilitate restoration work. The project is prominently featured in the ARBC Master Plan.

Lake Pontchartrain connection

At Tuesday's meeting, the federally funded Lake Pontchartrain Basin Restoration Program also updated the ARBC on its comprehensive management plan. The program restores the basin's ecological health by developing and funding restoration projects, scientific research and public education initiatives to reduce pollution risk.

"The Amite River Basin is about one third of the entire Lake Pontchartrain Basin," Clark said, "so their management plan affects our communities, which includes the two fastest growing parishes, the most populated parish and the strongest regional economy in the state. As we grow, so does our place in the Pontchartrain Basin, so we look forward to working with the Program on our mutual interests."

The Amite River Basin, which includes Livingston Parish, drains into Lake Maurepas and ultimately Lake Pontchartrain, making all basin parishes part of the larger Pontchartrain watershed system.

Read Livingston Parish News story here: https://www.livingstonparishnews.com/stories/arbc-approves-expanded-partnership-for-30m-bayou-manchac-flood-control-project,186655