Posted on May 20, 2026
BATON ROUGE, La. — The Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) announced today that the American Shore and Beach Preservation Association (ASBPA) has selected the West Grand Terre Beach Nourishment and Shoreline Stabilization Project as a recipient of its 2026 Best Restored Beach Award, recognizing the project’s outstanding contributions to coastal restoration, ecosystem protection, and community resilience.
Located in Jefferson Parish, West Grand Terre Island serves as a critical barrier island along Louisiana’s coast, helping reduce storm surge impacts, maintain estuarine habitat, and protect wetlands and fisheries within the Barataria Basin. The award recognizes the project’s successful restoration of 295 acres of beach and dune habitat, 144 acres of marsh, and 5,160 linear feet of shoreline stabilization features.
“This national recognition underscores Louisiana’s commitment to protecting and restoring our coast,” said Gov. Jeff Landry. “The West Grand Terre project reflects the innovation, determination, and partnerships necessary to preserve our working coast, strengthen storm protection, and sustain the natural resources that support our communities and economy.”
The project restored and enhanced critical barrier island habitat using approximately 5.3 million cubic yards of dredged sediment placed along nearly 14,800 linear feet of shoreline. Restoration efforts included beach and dune nourishment, back-barrier marsh creation, shoreline stabilization, and extensive native vegetation planting to improve ecological function and long-term resiliency.
“West Grand Terre represents what coastal restoration in Louisiana is all about: restoring natural systems that protect our communities while preserving vital wildlife habitat and cultural history,” said CPRA Board Chairman Gordon ‘Gordy’ Dove. “This project overcame extraordinary engineering, environmental, cultural, and landownership challenges, and the result is a restored barrier island that will benefit Louisiana for generations.”
The project team addressed significant challenges during planning and construction, including demolition and environmental remediation of the former Lyle St. Amant Marine Laboratory, protection of culturally significant archaeological resources tied to pirate Jean Lafitte and Fort Livingston, complex land rights coordination involving hundreds of heirs, and construction delays caused by Hurricane Ida.
The project was designed and permitted by Coastal Engineering Consultants, Inc., with demolition and hazardous materials removal services led by Providence Engineering, Inc. Construction included dredging sediment from offshore borrow areas approximately five miles into the Gulf of America and hydraulically transporting compatible material to the restoration area using cutterhead dredges and booster pumps.
“The West Grand Terre project demonstrates the scale and complexity of modern coastal restoration in Louisiana,” said CPRA Executive Director Michael Hare. “By restoring the beach, dune, and marsh systems together, we are rebuilding a critical first line of defense for coastal communities while improving habitat for fish, birds, and wildlife injured by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.”
The project was primarily funded through Deepwater Horizon oil spill settlement funds. Engineering, permitting, and project management activities were supported through RESTORE Act Council-Selected Restoration funding, while construction funding was provided by the NRDA Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group through Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment #6.
“The restoration and protection of barrier island habitats is a key component of Gulf restoration success,” said RESTORE Council Executive Director Walker. “The Council is thrilled that CPRA has been recognized for the exceptional work on this project, which has both created critical habitat and strengthened the resilience of Louisiana’s coastline.”
CPRA also partnered with Restore or Retreat to engage volunteers in marsh planting efforts on the island. Volunteers, including students from St. Amant High School’s Future Farmers of America chapter, planted more than 17,000 plugs of smooth cordgrass and black mangrove to stabilize newly restored marsh habitat. The students were later recognized nationally for their “Coastal Restoration Heroes” initiative.
The Best Restored Beach Award, presented annually by ASBPA, recognizes beach restoration projects across the United States that demonstrate outstanding environmental stewardship, engineering achievement, and public benefit.
Other marine and support contractors and suppliers involved included:
- Deep South Construction & Salvage
- Madere & Sons Towing
- Daulton Barge Leasing, Sales & Management
