Flood Damage Reduction
The J. Bennett Johnston Waterway Project on the Red River in Louisiana is
a good example of how the Corps seeks to balance competing priorities. For
much of its history the 200+ mile stretch of the Red River between Shreveport,
LA, and the Mississippi River was a source of frustration to many residents
who lived and worked near it. Commercial tows had a difficult time navigating
the river. As a result, the tremendous economic benefits that it could have
brought to the area were lost. During heavy rains the river was prone to overflowing
its banks, flooding low-lying farmland and towns. And, finally, there were
serious erosion problems on long stretches of the river's banks. All of that
gradually began to change when the U.S. Congress authorized what has become
the J. Bennett Johnston Waterway Project.
Over the past 30 years, the Corps
has invested nearly $2 billion in the project, constructing five locks and
dams and dredging a 9-foot deep, 200-foot wide navigation channel. The Corps
also has stabilized the banks along the 236-mile stretch of river, limiting
erosion and preventing loss of valuable lands. The project has stimulated local
economies and helped generate thousands of jobs by enabling nearly 4 million
tons of cargo to move along the waterway every year. By 2046 that number is
expected to rise to 16 million tons. The changes also have greatly reduced
the impact of flooding. During one period of heavy rain in 2001, nearly 1 million
acres of land were saved from flood damage because of the waterway.
Economic
benefits from bank stabilization along this project are estimated at over $38
million annually. Navigational economic benefits are estimated at over $68
million annually at 1982 price levels.