LOUISIANA DOTD RESERVOIR PRIORITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

摘要

Water, both above and below ground, is Louisiana's most abundant resource.Louisianans recognize the importance of sustainable water resource management tosupport healthy ecosystems and promote thriving economies. In the recent past, someconsequences of water resources development have begun to appear in locations aroundthe state, as evident in low surface water flows, impaired surface water quality,groundwater level decline, and degraded groundwater quality. To encourage projects thatwill address these issues and promote sustainable economic development, the LouisianaDepartment of Transportation and Development (DOTD) Public Works and WaterResources Division was directed by the Legislature to establish a Reservoir Priority andDevelopment Program (RPDP).The RPDP establishes procedures to submit and evaluate applications for proposed statefundedreservoir projects (based on a comprehensive suite of engineering, environmentaland socioeconomic criteria) and provide a list of ranked projects to the Legislature forfunding based on the best value for the state. To support evaluation criteria and fundingdecisions, the RPDP provides information about statewide water resource issues relativeto available water, future demands, and relevant environmental and socioeconomicissues. The RPDP also provides recommendations for a statewide water resourcesmanagement strategy.