It is the permitting process for de-snagging scenic rivers that Owen and St. Tammany Parish government officials have argued delays their ability to clear branches and snags in rivers to improve drainage and reduce flooding. Clearing and de-snagging also usually requires a permit from the Army Corps of Engineers, they note.

But de-snagging can sometimes actually make flooding worse, according to Kristi Trail, executive director of the Lake Pontchartrain Conservancy.

"Making the water move faster in one place can increase water levels downstream," she said in a written statement. "Study of the effects of these changes to the entire watershed should be performed and presented to the public before the bill is considered."