Louisiana Congressman, Ralph Abraham, has announced that the Lake Providence Port will receive $800,000 for dredging, which will keep it open for commerce and provide flood control benefits.
“ The port at Lake Providence is a very important stop for waterway commerce. Tons of agriculture products are processed there, shipped down river and out to a global market place. Those things can’t happen if ships can’t move through a blocked port, and that’s why these dredging funds are so critical ,” Dr. Abraham said.
The dredging funds are part of $1.4 billion in new long-term funding for Louisiana waterway projects with the highlight being $343 million for the Comite River Diversion Project, which will provide flood protection for areas near Baton Rouge that flooded in August 2016.
The J. Bennett Johnston Waterway along the Red River will also benefit from this allocation, said Dr. Abraham.
The funds were appropriated by the passage of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018. Dr. Abraham voted in favor of this bill.
These funds are administered by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.