LMR_October FINAL 2018

Louisiana Watershed Initiative
In response to the devastation
caused by the Great Floods of
2016, Gov. John Bel Edwards
charged several state agencies
with coordinating their efforts
to reduce future flood risk
and help communities take
steps toward becoming more
resilient. For the past two years,
these agencies have been
hard at work to accomplish
this mission. To that end, Gov.
Edwards issued an executive
order creating the Council on
Watershed Management, which builds on best practices
already implemented in some areas of the state.
The Council comprises decision-makers at five state
agencies that deal with flood-risk management and
represents a distinct shift from the status quo in
Louisiana’s flood-risk reduction efforts. The Council
will coordinate its efforts to empower and enable local
governments and stakeholders to address flood risks
on a watershed basis, as opposed to the political and
jurisdictional boundaries that have historically driven the
process.
To this end, the Council has launched the Louisiana
Watershed Initiative. Through the Initiative, the Council
established technical advisory groups consisting of
subject matter experts from throughout the state
who will build a foundation of data, projects, policies,
standards and guidance to manage our state’s water at
the watershed level. One of the core principals of the
technical advisory groups is to fully engage municipal
and parish government officials and professionals,
as well as the public and other stakeholders, into all
recommendations and approaches undertaken by the
Watershed Initiative and Council.
The Great Floods of 2016 devastated thousands of
Louisianians; without a coordinated effort at the
watershed level, we can anticipate more of the same.
We owe it to each of our residents to act responsibly
with this coordinated approach across all levels of
government. We must accept this charge by diligently
applying objective, science-driven approaches to reduce
future flood risk and achieve the best possible long-term
sustainability and resilience in our communities.
In September, the Initiative started hosting a series of
meetings and technical workshops throughout Louisiana.
At these events, municipal leaders and their staff have
been integral participants in the ongoing development of
data and plans that will inform these efforts.
The schedule for all Louisiana Watershed Initiative
meetings is located online at http://watershed.la.gov. We
hope you will join us at these events, as well as actively
engage your municipality with the Initiative by emailing
us with your questions, comments and concerns at
watershed@la.gov.
Before digging, call 811
at least two full work days in advance.
That’s all it takes to notify LA One Call
members, so they can mark nearby utility
lines and pipelines to prevent injury and
costly accidents.
IT’S THE LAW. IT’S FREE.
Call or click www.LAOneCall.com
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LMR | October 2018