Clearing of Waterway Debris from Ida to Begin, President Cooper Announces

President Mike Cooper’s effort to clear scenic waterways of debris and enhance area drainage capabilities will begin Saturday, November 19, 2022.

The $12.6 million project will remove nearly 3,400 trees impacted by Hurricane Ida from 97 miles of Parish scenic waterways, using environmentally-friendly methods, including the Abita River, Tchefuncte River and Bogue Falaya among others.

“This initiative will not only clear the waterways of downed trees, but will also help to ensure the respective waterways are flowing more efficiently,” said President Cooper. “I am grateful for the hard work of my administration and community stakeholders, who brought our federal tax dollars home to benefit our Parish. I want to personally ensure all citizens that we will exhaust every method to remove the trees safely and preserve the natural beauty of our waterways.”

St. Tammany Parish Government requested federal aid from the National Resources Conservation Service’s (NRCS) Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) Program to assist with the removal of debris in waterways caused by Hurricane Ida. The objective of the program is to help relieve threats to life and property caused by disaster-related impairments to waterways. 

The removal, which is the first phase, was permitted through federal and state environmental guidelines. Contractors individually marked debris to be removed, and environmental scientists will oversee the removal of all trees.

The $12.6 million project will include $2.5 million of Parish funds from the Drainage Maintenance Capital Project Fund, and $10.1 million from federal grant funding.