Posted on January 10, 2022
Project Consultant: Duplantis Design Group
Project Contractor: Mike Hooks, LLC
Louisiana: The large-scale marsh creation plan surfaced as part of the Final Restoration Plan prepared by the Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group in January 2017 to restore the land, water and marshes that were destroyed as a result of the largest ever spill in the history of marine dredging. On April 20th of 2010, BP Exploration & Production’s oil drilling rig Deepwater Horizon exploded and sank in the Gulf of Mexico killing 11 people and causing massive destruction to the marine ecosystem. Around 4 million barrels of oil floated into the gulf in the succeeding 90 days, until the well was finally capped. The marsh construction project is funded from the settlement amount BP had to pay as a fine under the Clean Water Act and Natural Resources Damage.
The $61 million Lake Borgne Marsh Creation project in St. Bernard Parish, meant for the restoration of marshes and other habitats destroyed as a result of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill has officially seen the green flag on the fourth of January 2022. The project is aimed at the restoration and nourishment of 2,770 acres of marsh, along the southern shore. The Governor’s office announced that the marsh creation project is part of a larger restoration project aimed at re-establishing the bay rim and intertidal marsh habitat in the Pontchartrain Basin. With an aim of restoring over 2,700 acres, the Lake Borgne Marsh Creation project will be the largest marsh creation project by Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA). The chairman of CPRA, Chip Kline, said that he considers this massive effort as just one component of their ambitious dredging program and that they look forward to continuing the important work to restore coastal Louisiana.
The CPRA considers sediment diversion more important than the dredging process itself as they believe that dredging can create hundreds of acres of land, while sediment diversion can create thousands.13 million cubic yards of dredged material is expected to be used for the marsh creation project. The dredged material will fill the open waters and nourish the marsh, helping in reducing the burden on the existing marshland.
CPRA Executive Director Bren shared his enthusiasm for the project making progress in yet another restoration effort in St. Bernard. State Rep. Raymond said that the rebuilding of such a large area of marshland is a welcomed effort that will provide both improved habitat and enhanced hurricane protection to St. Bernard.
State Sen. Sharon applauded CPRA’s efforts to protect, preserve and restore the coastal marshes and wetlands of Louisiana, which is the most iconic feature of the place. The Louisiana Governor, John, announced that the construction has already begun on the containment dikes and this will help dredged materials to fill all areas of open water.
