WASHINGTON - Late Thursday, U.S. Rep. Richard Baker, R-Baton Rouge, was named as the only member of Louisiana’s House delegation to serve as a conferee to the House-Senate conference negotiating the Water Resources and Development Act (WRDA), legislation that authorizes funding and work by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on projects critical to Louisiana and the Baton Rouge area.

Highest at stake in the bill - the first WRDA legislation in six years - for post-Katrina and Rita Louisiana, is authorization of $1.113 billion in funding and Corps work on numerous coastal restoration and hurricane protection projects in the Louisiana Coastal Area, as well as $720 million for hurricane and flood protection projects for the Atchafalaya Basin from Morganza to the Gulf.

“As the delegation fights for offshore royalty legislation, we also realize that whatever funding we receive must also have an authorization by Congress for the Corps to even be able to work on Louisiana’s coastal restoration projects, and I am determined to help make that happen,” said Baker, a senior member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and its subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment, which has jurisdiction over the Corps.

Similarly, for Baton Rouge area projects, Baker said, “Whether its wastewater infrastructure, flood protection, environmental or cultural enhancement, if the project touches water we need the Corps’ help, and the Corps always needs authorization to provide us that help.”

Some of the Louisiana and Baton Rouge area projects in the House-passed WRDA bill include:

Louisiana Coastal Area: Authorizes $1.113 billion, which represents the largest coastal restoration project in American history.

Morganza to Gulf: Authorizes the $720 million project for the area between the Atchafalaya and Mississippi Rivers from the Morganza Floodway in Pointe Coupee Parish to the Gulf Coast and including the watershed area that makes up most of Acadiana. Project authorizes the Corps to conduct massive, extensive flood and hurricane protection; wetlands, natural resource, wildlife habitat, ecosystem conservation; and to help facilitate recreational, commercial, and sportsman activities.

East Baton Rouge Riverfront: Expands a 1998 authorization for the Corps’ riverfront work in West Baton Rouge Parish now to include East Baton Rouge Parish.

University/City Park Lakes: Authorizes the Corps to expedite this dredging and ecosystem restoration project.

East Baton Rouge Parish Flood Control: Authorizes a new, higher level of $178 million. The bill language also changes the federal cost share from 65/35 to 75/25, saving the parish nearly $20 million.

Bayou Sorrel Lock: $100 million authorization to reconstruct the lock in Iberville Parish, a critical choke point for the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway.

Bayou Plaquemine: Saves the city of Plaquemine $400,000 toward this $2 million project that provides environmental enhancement of Bayou Plaquemine by increasing the dissolved oxygen and lowering the temperature of bayou waters which are currently experiencing habitat degradation.

Watershed Management programs: Provides technical, planning, and design assistance to non-federal interests for carrying out watershed management, restoration, and development projects at the Amite River Basin and East Atchafalaya River.

Flood mitigation priority areas: Provides technical, planning, and design assistance to non-federal interests for carrying out flood mitigation, restoration, and development projects in Ascension, EBR, Iberville, Livingston, and Pointe Coupee parishes. Here the Corps is authorized to conduct projects that reduce flooding while trying to restore rivers to their natural condition.

EBR, Livingston, and Ascension parish wastewater - Increases authorized funding level from $20 million to $35 million.

Plaquemine sanitary, sewer and wastewater infrastructure improvements: Authorizes funding level of $7 million.

Hypoxia: Authorizes the Corps to begin working with other federal, state, and other agencies to address the hypoxia situation in the Gulf of Mexico.