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WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy’s (R-La.) support for the 2022 Water Resources and Development Act (WRDA) has helped to secure Congressional authorization of at least $6.6 billion for water resource projects that help Louisiana.

 “We’ve secured Congressional approval for at least $6.6 billion for water resource projects that help Louisiana restore, protect and serve our communities. One of the most significant wins in this bill is that it approves full federal funding to restore the wetlands that the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet destroyed. In addition, we need to shore up our levees and restore our wetlands to protect vulnerable areas of our state, and that’s what this bill does,” said Kennedy.

The estimated cost of the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (MRGO) restoration was $3 billion in 2012. The 2022 WRDA authorizes the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to restore, at full federal expense, the wetlands and marshes that Louisiana lost because of the MRGO. More damage has occurred since 2012, so the $3 billion estimate likely falls below the current cost to restore the area.