Posted on April 29, 2026
ST. BERNARD PARISH, La. (WGNO) — St. Bernard Parish has proposed three coastal restoration projects to the Coastal Wetland Planning Protection and Restoration Act.
John Lane, Coastal Director and Chief of Staff with St. Bernard Parish, said the projects are considered “large-scale coastal projects.” He said CWPPRA considers around 100 of these projects throughout the state every year. St. Bernard’s projects have made it to the final 10 for consideration. They will be evaluated through the year and voted on in December. If approved, the CWPPRA will fund the project’s engineering and design phase.
Lane said CWPPRA usually has around $100 million to spend and usually allocates it to around two projects.
“These are projects that not only correct a problem that we have with coastal land loss, but it also gives us some protection when it comes to hurricanes and so forth,” Lane said.
One of these, the Biloxi Marsh Shoreline Protection, is a plan for a rock structure to run up the eastern shoreline of the Biloxi Marsh. Lane said when cool fronts come through, water comes in, and when it flushes out it takes sediment with it, reducing the marsh complex.
“We believe if we put the rocks along that shoreline, when the cool front comes it won’t wash it back away, it will actually get sediment to come back over it and keep that complex in check. They’ve done this in the past; this ask is just a further extension in another part of need that was left off the project years and years ago.”
Another project is to repair the Bayou Terre aux Boeufs Ridge. It’s a natural levee which serves as a buffer for storm surge. The other is the Reggio Marsh Creation and Hydrologic Restoration. Lane said there are already a number of restoration projects in the Reggio Marsh area, but there’s a small piece left on the rim of Lake Lery that would protect residents of Delacroix Island along with evacuation infrastructure.
“This is one project that actually protects people, and this is the last piece of it,” Lane said.
Lane said the Reggio project would also help protect the Bayou Terre aux Boeufs Ridge.
“If not, that lake will eventually, over another couple storms, will just open up, go into the bayou, and will create a world of problems for us,” Lane said.
“It’s a great program, it takes a while but it’s that important,” Lane said.
Lane said if the projects don’t move forward, they will likely be resubmitted next year. He said the proposal for the Biloxi Marsh project has submitted to the CWPPRA before.
“You hope one day it’s his day,” Lane said.
