re: Comite River Diversion Canal Project

The reason Denham and Northern LP Flood is because Comite’s capacity rises incredibly quickly. At the confluence of the Comite and Amite-right at the Amite River Bridge on Hwy 190/Florida Boulevard, when the Comite elevates, it essentially disallows the Amite North of the confluence to continue to properly drain.

This creates huge upstream issues through Denham, Watson and the area that drains into the Amite on both the EBR and LP side.

The Comite Diversion-when it’s finished-will divert water in sufficient amounts North of the confluence to the MS River that levels at the confluence will remain low enough for the Amite River to drain properly and reducing flooding significantly.

To my knowledge, it will not impact drainage in Port Vincent, French Settlement, etc. I’m not an Engineer, but even though flow will be reduced in the Comite, the Amite will still drain South to Port Vincent and the Lake. It will however potentially reduce the length or duration of elevated water levels and therefore reduce flooding in a different sense.

The USACE controls progress in a major way. State agencies have handled coordination on things like right of way access, utility relocation, and railroad discussions, etc. But unlike the multiple decades this project sat buried with USACE, it is moving forward with construction. Progress is being made.

It won’t be done tomorrow. Every day until it’s completed is a day it can’t provide the benefits it’s promised. But it’s much, much closer now than it’s ever been. For those who can remember the 1983 and 2016 Floods, that’s good news.