La. completes large-scale marsh restoration

The Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) has completed the Cameron Meadows Marsh Creation and Terracing Project in the southwest corner of the state.

As part of the project, nearly 2 million cubic yards of sediment were dredged from the Gulf of Mexico and pumped 5 miles inland to build more than 300 acres of marsh and 2.3 miles of terraces. The new marsh and terraces will increase sediment deposition and reduce the impacts of wave erosion and saltwater intrusion.

“We are thrilled to deliver another large-scale restoration project to Southwest Louisiana,” said CPRA Chairman Chip Kline in a press release. “For years, this region has felt the impact of major hurricanes, storms, and land loss at increasing rates. We know that with every acre of coastal land and marsh we restore, we strengthen the natural buffer between these forces and the people that call Southwest Louisiana home.”

This project addressed a large area of marsh that degraded into open water due to subsidence, saltwater surge from Hurricane Rita and other storms, excessive drought, and salt water retention from silted-in canals which prohibited adequate drainage.

The $32 million project was funded by the Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act (CWPPRA) and was a joint effort by CPRA and the federal sponsor, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Construction was carried out by Great Lakes Dredge and Dock.

Carrie Selberg, the director of the NOAA Fisheries Office of Habitat Conservation, highlighted the project's benefits to coastal habitat.

“NOAA works through CWPPRA to restore coastal habitats and the benefits they provide to Louisiana communities, including critical protection from hurricanes and storms,” said Selberg. “We are excited to see this project successfully completed, and we look forward to continuing our partnership with CPRA to restore these important habitats.”