Posted on December 20, 2018
A $36 million, eight-year project to restore marshes around Lost Lake in southwestern Terrebonne Parish is complete.
The work was funded through the federal Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act and benefited 749 acres of marsh about 15 miles west of Dularge.
Design began in 2010, with money dedicated in 2015. The project, led by the Louisiana Coastal Restoration and Protection Authority, was completed earlier this month.
It created marsh around Lake Paige and Bayou DeCade and along the northwestern shore of Lost Lake, where significant erosion has occurred. The project aimed to restore the structural framework of the area, which is already seeing a vanishing barrier between Lake Paige and Bayou DeCade.
“The project re-established the natural hydrology of the area and created much needed marsh,” said Simone Maloz, director of the Thibodaux-based coastal advocacy group Restore or Retreat. “It’s always a nice accomplishment to complete a coastal project, especially in our area, and we are looking forward to completing many more projects like this in the future.”
Construction was awarded to Weeks Marine of Covington for $20.6 million in November 2016.
Crews used a dredge to pump soil from the lake bottom into surrounding areas, according to project documents. They also built 30,000 feet of terraces and weirs to promote freshwater flow, along with a similar structure along Little Carencro Bayou to increase fresh water and sediment in the marshes north of the lake.
Source: dailycomet.com
