Baton Rouge, La – April 11, 2023 – Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome, Metropolitan Councilmember Aaron Moak and Central Mayor Wade Evans announced today the Comite River is being cleaned in East Baton Rouge Parish. Work began in recent weeks, with crews on barges pulling trees and debris out of the river.

The Comite River drains thousands of homes and businesses on both sides of its banks, including the City of Central, Baker, Zachary and North Baton Rouge. The project is being funded by City-Parish using American Rescue Plan Act funds, in cooperation with the City of Central.

Mayor Broome and the Metropolitan Council dedicated $56 million of ARPA funds for the larger stormwater initiative.

To date several other bayous have also been cleaned under this initiative, including Claycut Bayou, Ward Creek and Bayou Manchac along the border with Ascension. Future projects under the initiative include channel clearing along Elbow Bayou and Dawson Creek, along with the Amite River in cooperation with Livingston Parish.

Also under the City-Parish stormwater initiative, which began in June 2021, 25 million pounds of debris has been cleaned out of 95 miles of storm drains and pipes, along with thousands of other projects to clean roadside ditches and repair sinkholes throughout East Baton Rouge Parish.