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Atchafalaya River Basin Restoration & Enhancement (ARBRE) Task Force

Overview

The Atchafalaya River Basin is the nation’s largest river swamp and holds significant ecological and cultural significance for Louisiana and the nation. The Basin produces the largest wild caught crawfish harvest in the nation, supports thriving finfish and shellfish fisheries and hosts a unique and diverse array of plants and animals. The Basin also serves as a critical relief valve for extreme flood events on the Mississippi River and is home to the Port of Morgan City, a critical connection point for inland and coastal shipping routes.

Modifications to the natural flow regime of the Atchafalaya River and its swamp have caused sedimentation and water quality issues in the basin. These issues threaten the ecosystem, navigation, flood control, and the communities that rely on the basin’s natural and cultural resources.

To address these issues, Governor Edwards created the Atchafalaya River Basin Restoration & Enhancement Task Force (ARBRE Task Force). The Task Force will bring stakeholders from diverse perspectives together to work through the ongoing challenges in the basin and help identify opportunities.  The ARBRE Task Force is charged with:

  1. Elevating critical issues facing the Atchafalaya Basin and the importance of its holistic management for navigation, flood control, and restoration;
  2. Identifying and building support for new and recurring sources of funding, including working closely with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to reinvigorate the Atchafalaya Basin Floodway System  – Louisiana Project
  3. Identifying shared goals and values for restoration and enhancement of the Basin, as illustrated by project types that would benefit both the Basin and the larger coastal program as managed by the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority; and
  4. Serving as a proactive means to build consensus and advise the Atchafalaya Basin Program on matters relating to implementation of the Atchafalaya Basin Floodway System – Louisiana Project.

By September 1, 2021, the ARBRE Task Force will produce an initial report on its findings to the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Board. The ARBRE Task Force is comprised of 20 key state and local stakeholders as well as five federal nonvoting members. The ARBRE Task Force is chaired and staffed by the Governor’s Office of Coastal Activities (GOCA).

Resources

Meeting Information

All meeting announcements and recordings will be posted online and will take place virtually until in person meetings are possible as determined by improvement in conditions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.  To view live streams and past meetings click here.

Sign up for the listserv by emailing ARBRE@la.gov with LISTSERV in the subject.

Send comments to ARBRE@la.gov