Mermentau River Watershed Coalition

The steering committees for Regions 1 and 5 met July 14 and 16, respectively, to discuss regional flood risk in preparation for long-term planning and project decision-making, as the state prepares to spend $1.2 billion in federal funds on local and regional flood mitigation projects. The interactive flood risk presentations are available here (Region 1) and here (Region 5). The meeting recordings are available here  (Region 1) and here  (Region 5). Additional resources related to the flood risk discussions are on the

The Louisiana Watershed Initiative is hosting a webinar 1:30 p.m. Thursday, May 26 to provide updates on the program. The webinar will address the Round 1 project funding opportunity, statewide river and rain gauge network, proactive flood defense modeling program, regional capacity building program and more. Register for the Spring Webinar

Just this morning, Coby Sammis with Congressman Clay Higgins’ office provided us with the Congressional Letters of Support for the Rockefeller Freshwater project which will assist in reducing the Lower Mermentau water levels (known by the CWPPRA project number ME-03).  This is the project that Scooter Trosclair described for us all on February 19 in Jennings.  While reading, notice that flood risk reduction for upstream residents is not addressed as a potential benefit.  Public dollars

Next week, the LWI will be holding a Council on Watershed Management meeting in Baton Rouge.  The meeting will take place on Thursday, August 8th from 1:30 to 3:00 pm at The Louisiana State Capital Building (900 North 3rd St., Baton Rouge, LA) in House Committee Room 5.  I urge anyone with time and interest to attend.  Ms Carolyn Lesieur with the LWI has offered the following general agenda (I will upload the formal agenda once it

As we have continued our tour of the Mermentau Watershed, there are common themes which have arisen.  The communities of Lake Arthur and Grand Chenier, LA are perhaps the most vulnerable in the lower watershed region, as their geographic locations place them directly in, or hydraulically connected to, the lower Mermentau Basin (which includes White Lake and Grand Lake).  There is a belief, right or wrong, that the US Army Corps of Engineer’s operation of

The LWI will be in Abbeville on May 20th to continue their outreach with Cameron and Vermilion Parishes.  The meeting is at 1pm and will take place at the LSU Ag Center Building at 1105 West Port St, Abbeville, LA.  See the agenda below.  Most of you have seen these topics before.  However this will be our first meeting in the Coastal Parishes and i urge you to attend and take part. 

This is just a reminder about the LWI meetings this week with Mermentau River Watershed Coalition stakeholders. The meeting with Jeff Davis/Acadia Parishes will be tomorrow, Tuesday, April 30th at 2:00 p.m. The meeting will be held in the Sidney Briscoe Building located at 304 North State St. Jennings, LA 70546. The meeting with Allen/Evangeline Parishes will be Friday, May 3rd at 10:00 a.m. The meeting will be held at the Evangeline Parish Courthouse located

The LWI meeting with Allen/Evangeline Parishes has been changed to Friday, May 3rd.  See agenda below.  The meeting will be at the same time and location – Evangeline Parish Courthouse, 200 Court St #104, Ville Platte, LA from 10:00am to 11:30am.  The Jeff Davis/Acadia Parish Meeting will take place on Tuesday, April 30th at 304 N State St, Jennings, LA from 2:00pm to 3:30pm. 

Today we received the agenda for the April 30th meeting in Jennings, LA with LWI officials.  See below.  I do not have the agenda for the Allen/Evangeline meeting in Ville Platte but will share if i receive it. 

I was contacted recently by Carolyn Lesieur with the Louisiana Watershed Initiative (LWI).  The LWI has scheduled an outreach meeting with Evangeline and Allen Parishes for Tuesday, April 30th from 10:00 – 11:30 am in Ville Platte, LA (Evangeline Parish Courthouse, 200 Court St #104, Ville Platte, LA 70586).  I will be in attendance.  Additionally, the LWI proposes a meeting with Jefferson Davis and Acadia Parishes at 2pm on Tuesday, April 30th in Jennings, LA (Jefferson Davis

A few weeks ago, I stepped into the NRCS Field office in Jennings, LA, on recommendation from Tim & Bill Wild, friends and local farmers.  Bill is a Police Juryman for Jefferson Davis Parish and Tim is the current president of the Jefferson Davis Soil and Water Conservation District.  They both recommended I speak with Nikki McGee, a technician in NRCS office.  NIkki was in possession of historical studies of the Mermentau Watershed, according to

As our research on available watershed literature continues, we thought a map would help to frame our discussions. Below is a Mermentau River Watershed map.  The watershed’s boundary was developed from the USGS National Hydrography Dataset, and is a combination of the Upper and Lower Mermentau Watersheds (HUC-8s).  The background is USGS topo map available online through a web server.  Also included for reference are Parish boundaries and labels.  Some things i found surprising: 1. All

Welcome You are here because of your interest in the future of the Mermentau River Watershed.  Though we all see natural environmental changes through the windows of our home, where our property meets the nearby landowner’s, as we enjoy our surrounding natural resources, or as those changes impact people in the regions and districts we serve; some of us are, or must be, more aware of those changes.  Our increased awareness and need for understanding