Recovery Act Funding In Louisiana

Recovery Act Funding In Louisiana

$4,470,00 Million from Recovery Act for Rehabilitating of Two Louisiana Watersheds
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced on April 16, 2009, that the USDA will be sending $4,470,000 to Louisiana state and local governments to improve water quality, increase water supply, decrease soil erosion, and improve fish and wildlife habitat in rural communities as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009. Major benefits include improved community safety and health, flood mitigation, sediment control, and enhanced fish and wildlife habitat.

ARRA funds will be used in Red Bayou and Bayou Duralde-Lower Nezpique Watersheds in Louisiana to develop conservation measures such as planting vegetative cover and creating shallow water ponds to improve wildlife habitat, improving irrigation efficiency and conserving water, installing filter strips and soil erosion control practices, and enhancing stream corridor and floodplain function.NRCS has worked closely with sponsors to identify projects that are ready for immediate implementation. Projects to be funded are the Red Bayou and Bayou Duralde-Lower Nezpique Watersheds. NRCS Louisiana State Conservationist Kevin Norton said “Louisiana’s Red Bayou project funding will reduce soil erosion and sedimentation; improve water quality in Red Bayou and its tributaries; improve fish and wildlife habitat, and increase efficiency of existing irrigation systems. The project will lead to a reduction of 6,200 tons per year of sediment delivered to water supplies.”

“Funding for the Bayou Duralde-Lower Nezpique Project will treat 33,300 acres of critically eroding cropland by installing 1,451 grade stabilization structures, 60 filter strips, 32 miles of irrigation pipeline, and 21,250 acres of irrigation land leveling in the three parishes of the watershed,” said Norton. “Nearly 45,450 tons of soil will be saved from offsite deposition which will improve water quality for 135 miles of drainage canals and 200 acres of lakes, 36,600 acre/feet of water will be saved annually which equates to a 19% reduction in the demand for groundwater, Improved wildlife habitat on 14,800 acres of bottomland hardwoods, and 15,000 acres will receive 54% less soil deposition and retain its function and values for a longer time period.”