A major federal study on the future of the lower Mississippi River examining effects in Louisiana and six other states has been paused due to a lack of funding from the Trump administration, reports NOLA.com.
Separately, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineer said its New Orleans district was losing around 80 of its 1,160 employees to early retirement or deferred resignations — allowing them to go on leave until the end of the fiscal year before departing — as the Trump administration seeks to cut federal spending. It said construction projects underway were not affected.
The study, which was announced in 2023, was intended to last five years, cost $25 million and address a wide range of issues key to shipping, flooding concerns and drinking water quality, among others. In Louisiana, issues being analyzed by the study include saltwater intrusion, operations of the vital Old River Control Structure near Angola and shipping concerns along one of the world’s most important transportation lanes. Read more.
