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 brought us to the first Mermentau River Watershed Coalition meeting on February 19th.  This webpage may become a home for discussion as we all develop a deeper understand of our watershed from the upper reaches in Allen, Evangeline and Sta Landry Parishes south to the marshes and coastline in Vermilion and Cameron Parishes. 

The Louisiana Watershed Initiative is what spurred our initial meeting and that program will likely be the impetus for our discussions over the coming weeks and months.  The funding opportunities the program provides certainly warrant that discussion.  We should use this opportunity as only a starting point to better understand the River and it contributing areas.  This will undoubtedly lead to deeper understanding and discussion regarding the management methods, programs and infrastructure in the watershed. 

This initial message is just a brief introduction of what will be ongoing discussion.  All are welcome to leave comments, suggestion, stories, data, information, etc regarding the changes you see in your surrounding environment that give us all a better understanding.  

Below is a brief summary of our February 19, 2019 meeting.  More later. 

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Summary: Initial Coalition Discussion Meeting

Notes:

1. Louisiana Watershed Initiative  https://watershed.la.gov/
   
   1. $1.2B in federal funding for watershed planning, flood protection, etc. 
   2. Administered through State Office of Community Development. 
   3. Planning still underway for funding distribution. 
   4. Phase 1 application  https://watershed.la.gov/assets/docs/Application-Summary-Handout-No.1.pdf
2. Stakeholders Present

3. Stakeholders Needed

• Allen Parish
  
  • Oberlin
  • Oakdale
  • Drainage Districts
• Evangeline
  
  • Mamou
  • Ville Platte
• St Landry
  
  • Eunice
• Acadia
  
  • Church Pointe
  • Crowley
  • Iota
• Jeff Davis
  
  • Welsh

Action Items:

1. BWC
   
   1. Coordinate stakeholders in one location
      
      1. Mermentau River Watershed Coalition webpage
   2. Discuss existing drainage studies with NRCS office in Jennings
   3. post map of the watershed on webpage
2. Coalition
   
   1. Prep for stream gauge discussion with APC