ENROLLED
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Regular Session, 2012
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON NO. 117
BY REPRESENTATIVES ST. GERMAIN, BARRAS, BERTHELOT, CHAMPAGNE,
DOVE, GUILLORY, HARRISON, HUVAL, JONES, LAMBERT, TERRY
LANDRY, LEBAS, LEGER, MONTOUCET, JIM MORRIS, ORTEGO, PIERRE,
SCHEXNAYDER, THIBAUT, AND THIERRY
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON
To urge and request the governor of the state of Louisiana to submit a request on behalf of
the state of Louisiana to the Major General of the Mississippi River Commission and
the Mississippi Valley Division of the United States Army Corps of Engineers to
increase the water flow at the Old River Control structure from the Mississippi River
into the Atchafalaya River in an amount necessary to effect a stage change increase
of approximately six inches at the Butte La Rose gauge.
WHEREAS, federal law requires that the United States Army Corps of Engineers
divert into the Atchafalaya River thirty percent of the flow of the Mississippi River through
the Old River Control structure located at Simmesport, Louisiana; and
WHEREAS, in order to maintain the health of the Atchafalaya Basin as habitat for
the flora and fauna indigenous to the state of Louisiana, to maintain the necessary water
quality levels to provide appropriate habitat, to enable access to the Atchafalaya Basin to
allow our citizens and visitors to pursue the recreational and commercial activities supported
by the basin, and to ensure a sufficient amount of water in the Atchafalaya Basin to allow
normal crawfish production and harvest, the water level in the Atchafalaya River needs to
be higher than is currently present in the basin; and
WHEREAS, due to a lack of rainfall and snow melt this spring, the water levels in
the Atchafalaya River and, therefore in the Atchafalaya Basin, are significantly lower than
normal for spring water levels which in turn has negative impacts on the flora and fauna
located in the Atchafalaya Basin and has increased the amount of black water in the system,
indicating a lack of oxygen and indicating that the quality of the water in the basin has
diminished to dangerous levels; and ENROLLEDHCR NO. 117
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WHEREAS, the law governing the United States Army Corps of Engineers
management of the Old River Control structure provides a process by which the governor
of the state of Louisiana submits to the Major General in charge of the Mississippi River
Commission and Mississippi Valley Division of the United States Army Corps of Engineers
a request on behalf of the state of Louisiana for an increase in the amount of water diverted
from the Mississippi River into the Atchafalaya River; and
WHEREAS, the United States Army Corps of Engineers has been very cooperative
in the past when requested by the state to add additional flow into the Atchafalaya River
during times of low water; and
WHEREAS, at the present time, an increase of water that would result in a stage
change increase of approximately six inches would provide much needed relief for the
Atchafalaya Basin.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
urge and request the governor of the state of Louisiana submit a request on behalf of the state
of Louisiana to the Major General of the Mississippi River Commission and the Mississippi
Valley Division of the United States Army Corps of Engineers to increase the water flow at
the Old River Control structure from the Mississippi River into the Atchafalaya River in an
amount necessary to effect a stage change increase of approximately six inches at the Butte
La Rose gauge.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
governor of the state of Louisiana, the Mississippi Valley Division of the United States
Army Corps of Engineers in Vicksburg, Mississippi, and to the Louisiana congressional
delegation in Washington, D.C.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATI VES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE