Fri, 01/21/2022 - 12:00am
Colin Brown, executive director of the Red River Waterway-Commission, recently provided a written update on the Red River Waterway Commission to the Caddo Parish Commission.
• The Red River Waterway Commission is the local sponsor of the J. Bennett Johnston Navigation Project, which we all know as the Red River.
• The Red River Navigation Project was authorized by Congress in 1968. The Red River Waterway Commission was created in 1965. Construction began on the Locks and Dams in 1977 with Lock and Dam No. 1 opening in 1984. Locks and Dams 4 and 5 were completed in 1994, making the river fully operational.
• The Red River flows for 270 miles in Louisiana. Of that 270 miles, approximately 220 miles are commercially navigable with that portion stretching from the Old River Lock to the Caddo-Bossier Port. It is authorized for a nine feet deep by 200 foot wide navigation channel.
• Currently, there are five locks and dams on the Red River that provide a total lift of 141 feet.
• The Red River Waterway District covers a seven-parish area that includes Caddo, Bossier, Red River, Natchitoches, Grant, Rapides and Avoyelles parishes.
• The commission is chaired by the Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, who appoints someone to act in his stead. It is governed by II commissioners appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate. There is one commissioner from each of the seven parishes that serve six-year terms. Additionally, there are four at-large vommissioners that serve terms concurrent with the governor. As you all know, the Caddo Parish representative on the commission is Mr. Ronald Lattier, and the at-large commissioner from Caddo Parish is Mr. Versa Clark.
• The commission, among other things, promotes economic and recreational development along the river.
• The commission, with the Red River as the required nexus, works closely with the five public ports on the Red River as part of its economic development role.
• The five public ports include the Caddo-Bossier Port, the Red River Parish Port, the Natchitoches Parish Pon, the Central Louisiana Regional Port, and the Avoyelles Parish Port. The Caddo-Bossier Port is the largest of the public ports on the Red River. The commission currently has three Caddo-Bossier Port projects for which we have budgeted funds including:
1) Heavy Load Multi-Modal Warehouse with RRWC Investment of $3,435,500, 2) Hardstand/Barge Infrastructure Project with RRWC Investment of $3,963,650, 3) Slack Water Harbor Dredging Project with RRWC Investment of $320,000. Recently, the Commission has worked with the Caddo-Bossier Port on completed projects that include: 1) material handling equipmet, 2) warehouse expansion, 3) wheel loader, 4) dock fendering system, etc.
• On the recreation side, the commission owns and operates 19 recreation areas. The commission has three recreation areas in Caddo Parish — the North Caddo Recreation Area, the Stoner Recreation Area and the Bishop Point Recreation Area. Combined, these three recreation areas alone had a 2021 attendance of nearly 240,000 visitors.
• Current commission projects in Caddo Parish include the Texas Street Bridge Lighting Project with RRWC investment of $1,000,000, and the Bishop Point, Red Bayou and Natchitoches Comfort Station Project with RRWC investment of approximately $843,000. Recently completed projects in Caddo Parish include: 1) Stoner/Teague dock rehabilitation with RRWC investment of approximately $3,000,000, 2) Shreveport Riverview Phase II Project with RRWC investment of approximately $1,179,000.
• In a combined economic development/recreation effort, the commission works with the Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission to bring fishing events to the Red River. In 2021 the following events occurred in the Caddo Parish area:
1) The Bass Federation's High School State Championship — Economic Impact: $269,622.
2) The Bass Federation National Championship — over 100 anglers from all over the country with an average stay of seven to 10 days -- Economic Impact $271,055.
3) Crappie Expo & Mr. Crappie Invitational — The Expo utilized the entire Shreveport Convention Center for three days with over 100 vendors; 25,000 visitors attended the Expo over three days. Over 200 anglers competed in the event from all over the country. Expo Economic Impact: $3,739,785. Tournament Economic Impact: $378,162.
4) Kayak Bass Federation National Championship & Expo — The expo was held at the Shreveport Convention Center for two days and had over 30 vendors; 350 anglers competed in the event — Economic Impact $997,121.
• As many of you will recall, the Red River hosted the 2009 and 2012 Bass Master Classics. We continue to seek to have these, and other, tournaments on the Red River.
• In regards to the economic and recreation development on the Red River, a question might be asked as to whether or not the investment in the J. Bennett Johnston Navigation Project is paying off. In that regard, in 2019, the commission had Dr. Loren Scott complete an update to an economic impact study that was originally prepared in 2006 and updated in 2013. The economic impact study professionally, statistically and empirically confirms the positive impacts from the Red River. The Red River Waterway Commission, working together with ports and communities along the Red River, has brought over $10.8 billion to the seven-parish region. As outstanding as that dollar amount is, when adjusted for inflation and put into 2019 dollars, it jumps to almost $14.4 billion.
To more easily see the impacts of the project, for every $1 of tax collected, over $36 in new spending, over $61 in new business sales, and over $18 in new household earnings have been generated.
• In spite of all of the good news, we face many challenges. One of the major challenges is the reduction in federal funding for channel dredging and backlog maintenance, and for waterways in general. The commission continues to work closely with the Corps of Engineers regarding these challenges.
• As we move into 2022 and beyond, the commission will continue to foster economic and recreation development by working with ports and communities on the Red River. New initiatives that the commission has approved or is considering include the extension of navigation into Arkansas and a 12-foot navigation channel on the Red River. These items, if completed, would play a major role in the continued development of the Red River, Caddo Parish and the entire Red River Waterway District.
THIS ARTICLE WAS PUBLISHED IN THE January 21 ISSUE OF FOCUS SB - THE INQUISITOR. SUBSCRIBE TODAY AT http://theinquisitor.com