St. Bernard Parish Government is pleased to announce that two new major coastal restoration projects in St. Bernard Parish have been selected for further consideration under the Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act (CWPPRA) program. The projects were chosen as part of a nomination and selection process administered by the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). Each of the projects will now be subject to further feasibility and benefit-cost analyses by the USACE and other federal agencies.
The Point aux Marchettes Shoreline Protection and Terracing project was voted #1 overall in the Lake Pontchartrain Basin. This is a high priority project
that would protect approximately 30,000 linear feet of Biloxi Marsh Complex shoreline along Lake Borgne; protect approximately 260 acres of productive marsh; and create over 7,000 linear feet of marsh terracing. Other project benefits include the creation of a substantial amount of wildlife habitat. The preliminary project budget is $18 million.
The East Delacroix Marsh Creation and Terracing project was selected #2 overall in the Breton Sound Basin. This project would create and nourish over 375 acres of marsh and create approximately 13,800 linear feet of marsh terracing near Delacroix. The overarching purpose of the project is to reestablish the healthy marsh around the Delacroix area. The preliminary budget is approximately $30 million.
“I would like to thank the staff and the Coastal Zone Advisory Committee for moving these two critical projects forward in the CWPPRA process,” said parish president Guy McInnis. John Lane, Executive Director of Coastal Operations for St. Bernard Parish Government, will continue to work closely with federal and state officials as the two projects advance through the CWPPRA evaluation process.
For more information on these two projects, visit http://bit.ly/2njNzPv.