The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently awarded $362,213 to the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority of Louisiana to help design a project implemented under the Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act (CWPPRA) program.
The project will create and nourish 634 acres of marshland in the Shell Beach area off of Lake Borgne, southeast of New Orleans.
The marsh will help stabilize the landform separating Lake Borgne from the Mississippi River outlet to the Gulf of Mexico. Using fill material from the lake, the project will create 346 acres of new marsh and nourish 288 acres of existing marsh.
Marshes and wetlands significantly benefit communities and the environment. Wetlands help prevent flooding and filter pollution from stormwater runoff. They also provide food, protection, and habitat for many of the nation’s fish and wildlife species, including endangered and threatened species.
Restoring wetlands and marshes is important for Louisiana, which continues to lose large amounts of coastal land area due to erosion.
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