President Signs Bill Authorizing Morganza Project

HOUMA, La. (AP) — Federal backing of the Morganza-to-the-Gulf levee system to protect Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes from storm flooding has received the president's signature.

The Water Resources Development Act was signed by President Barack Obama during a White House ceremony Tuesday.

The measure provides final authorization of federal involvement in constructing nearly 100 miles of earthen levees through wetlands stretching from Gibson to Lockport.

It does not allocate federal money for the work, and prospects remain unclear for securing the more than $10 billion Morganza is expected to cost.

The Courier reports this is the third time the project, conceived in 1992, has received congressional authorization. After the first two instances, federal approval was withdrawn as post Hurricane Katrina levee standards were figured into the project.

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