Contact Us | Reach Out Now — Northshore Riverwatch

HB4 by Representative Charles Owen Result: did not survive committee.

ENERGY/CONSERVATION: Authorizes a parish governing authority to determine whether Class VI carbon dioxide injection wells may be permitted within its parish.

HB172 by Representative EDMONSTON Pending House Natural Resources

WATERWAYS: Extends the period for which Bayou Manchac and the Comite River are exempt from certain provisions of the Louisiana Scenic Rivers Act.

UPDATE: Victory for Our Scenic Rivers — Bill Amended and the Comite River is under FULL PROTECTION of the Scenic RIver Act!

Thanks to the incredible participation of Florida Parishes residents who showed their love for our Scenic Comite River and the Scenic River Program by calling, writing, and standing up for what's right, the Senate Natural Resources Committee heard your voices, the Comite River receives full protection of the Scenic River Act for the first time in years.

Your actions, combined with procedural safeguards, made the difference. Northshore Riverwatch, Sierra Club Honey Island Group, Louisiana Wildlife Federation, The Nature Conservancy, and concerned citizens who submitted technical comments and testified could not have achieved this alone.

We are PROUD OF OUR COMMUNITY for rising up to protect the places we all cherish. This victory belongs to all of us. Thank you!

HB165 by Representative EDMONSTON Passed and waiting Governor’s Signature

WATERWAYS: Removes the designated deadline the board of the Amite River Basin Drainage and Water Conservation District has to promulgate regulations for watershed management within the district

SB124 by Senator Robert "Bob" Owen

WATER/WATERWAYS: Provides relative to the Louisiana Scenic Rivers Act. (8/1/25)
Current Status: Pending Senate Natural Resources, SB124 was withdrawn from the Committee Agenda twice in April because of Community outcry calling and emailing elected officials to protect our valuable Scenic Rivers. SB124 was heard by Committee and remanded so the Author could work with opponents for better solution. See Senate Natural Resource Committee Hearing on our new YouTube Channel at https://youtu.be/wBHUTqMEudk?si=6p6TVy-c4hO8Fg4j

UPDATE SB124: Victory for Our Scenic Rivers — Bill Died in Committee!

Thanks to the incredible participation of hundreds of St. Tammany residents who showed their love for our Scenic Rivers by calling, writing, and standing up for what's right, the Senate Natural Resources Committee heard your voices — and the bill is dead!

Your actions, combined with procedural safeguards, made the difference. Northshore Riverwatch, Sierra Club Honey Island Group, Louisiana Wildlife Federation, The Nature Conservancy, and concerned citizens who submitted technical comments and testified could not have achieved this alone.

We are PROUD OF OUR COMMUNITY for rising up to protect the places we all cherish. This victory belongs to all of us. Thank you!

NOTE FROM NORTHSHORE RIVERWATCH: This is a bad bill for our rivers. Removing 9 Scenic Rivers plus dozens of streams from the Scenic River Program will remove enhanced water quality protections allowing more sewerage treatment plant to discharges to lower water quality and discharge higher pollutant loads. The official position appears to be that you cannot get Scenic River Permits for flood control activities on the Scenic Rivers, yet there are exceptions in the law already providing for flood control activities on Bayou Liberty, Bayou Lacombe, Chinchuba Bayou, the Tchefuncte River and Its Tributaries, and other Scenic Rivers not listed. St. Tammany currently holds Scenic River Permits to clear and clean the rivers found in the exceptions.