Louisiana 2022 2022 Regular Session

Louisiana Senate Bill SR164 Introduced / Bill

                    SLS 22RS-3744	ORIGINAL
2022 Regular Session
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 164
BY SENATOR WHITE 
WATER MANAGEMENT.  Requests the office of community development, division of
administration to work with the Louisiana Watershed Initiative to create an independent
watershed region for the Amite River Basin.
1	A RESOLUTION
2 To urge and request the office of community development within the division of
3 administration to work with the Louisiana Watershed Initiative to create an
4 independent watershed region for the Amite River Basin.
5 WHEREAS, Governor John Bel Edwards launched the Louisiana Watershed
6 Initiative (LWI), governed by the Council on Watershed Management, to reform the state's
7 approach to flood mitigation; and 
8 WHEREAS, the LWI pursues a holistic approach to watershed management, going
9 beyond conventional mitigation measures and incorporating nature-based solutions; and
10 WHEREAS, among the LWI's goals is the development of a management plan for
11 each of the watersheds in its eight districts; and 
12 WHEREAS, the state of Louisiana established the Amite River Basin Drainage and
13 Water Conservation District by Act No. 896 of the 1981 Regular Session of the Legislature
14 to function as the floodplain manager and coordinator of flood risk reduction in the basin;
15 and 
16 WHEREAS, the Amite River Basin is comprised of portions of the parishes of
17 Ascension, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Livingston, St. Helena, and St. James, all of
18 which were heavily impacted and declared federal disaster areas due to the catastrophic
Page 1 of 2 SR NO. 164
SLS 22RS-3744	ORIGINAL
1 flooding of 2016; and 
2 WHEREAS, the Amite River Basin is currently included in LWI region seven, which
3 includes several parishes that are not within the basin; and 
4 WHEREAS, the Amite River Basin includes the most populous parish and two of the
5 fastest growing parishes in Louisiana; and
6 WHEREAS, given the urgent flood risk, large and growing population, rapid project
7 development, and the prolific availability of current flood data and analysis, the Amite River
8 Basin must exist as its own region with a unique management plan within the Louisiana
9 Watershed Initiative.
10 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
11 does hereby urge and request the office of community development within the division of
12 administration to work with the Louisiana Watershed Initiative to create an independent
13 watershed region for the Amite River Basin.
14 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
15 executive director of the office of community development within the division of
16 administration.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Jacob K. Wilson.
DIGEST
SR 164 Original 2022 Regular Session	White
Requests the office of community development, division of administration to work with the
LWI to create an independent watershed region for the Amite River Basin.
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