The Louisiana Coastal Protection Restoration Authority is moving forward with more than 100 active coastal restoration projects, nearly 40 of which are currently under construction. The organization has multiple projects still in the engineering and design work phase, some of them in the early stages of planning.
Active projects vary in size and location, but all share the goal of preserving the state’s significantly exposed coastline and pristine marsh ecosystems. The authority recently awarded the first construction contract for the Maurepas Marsh River Reintroduction Project, which is expected to begin in October. Designed as a freshwater diversion, this project will assist as mitigation for the US Army Corps of Engineers’ Pontchartrain levee system and is the first time the state and federal governments have partnered on this type of project. of restoration effort.
The Labranche Swamp and Lake Borgne creation projects are also under construction. While these types of projects usually take place away from public view, citizens can track the Labranche’s progress from the Bonnet Carre Landfill, giving Interstate 10 travelers a front-and-center view. The Borgne Lake project has its own level of attention, as it holds the record as Louisiana’s largest recreation project and should increase its size by an additional 2,800 acres.
With the battering sustained by several hurricanes and the intrusion of salt water, the authority is directing significant attention to southwest Louisiana. Several shoreline and marsh recreation projects are currently progressing. A ground-breaking ceremony is planned for October to kick off the start of the Southwest Coastal Project, which is being led by the Corps. It will combine ecosystem restoration with the erection of multiple structures in Cameron, Calcasieu and Vermilion parishes.
Several engineering and design authority projects remain, with two notable promising results. The Chandeleur Island restoration project, for example, will cost more than $300 million to replace 90% of its landmass lost as a result of Hurricane Georges in 1998 and hurricane Katrina in 2005. To compound the problems, the Deepwater Horizon spill contaminated the land with oil and adversely affected the bird population, vegetation, grasses marines and fishing in the area. Chandeleur Island restoration will restore 13 miles of this chain of barrier islands, restore nesting habitat for the bird population, enhance sea turtle hatchlings, and restore vegetation above and below the water surface while creating new land and restoring what remains.
The Bird Delta Hydraulic Restoration Project, currently in the design phase, will increase river flow to the eastern Bird Delta. The increased flow will be used for a natural process of land construction in the crevasses and passes. With the potential to add land mass and provide additional habitat for birds and wildlife, the project has gained a substantial amount of public attention.
As early-stage projects move to the next phase and current projects move forward, the authority will continue to roll out its coastal master plan. Each project that comes to fruition focuses on preserving the state’s coastline, ecosystems and natural resources that suffer from the ongoing threat of flood risk and ongoing land loss.
