The Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) recently announced the start of construction on the New Orleans Landbridge Shoreline Stabilization and Marsh Creation project along the eastern shore of Lake Pontchartrain and areas surrounding Lake St. Catherine.
The project will restore 253 acres of brackish marsh using sediment dredged from Lakes Pontchartrain and St. Catherine, stabilize the shoreline to reduce erosion and interior marsh loss, and maintain the integrity of the East Orleans Landbridge.
Concrete mats will be used along open water-facing portions of the three marsh creation areas to enhance over 15,000 linear feet of shoreline.
“This is what restoring South Louisiana looks like,” said CPRA Chairman Chip Kline . “The New Orleans Landbridge is one of the most important barriers between New Orleans and the Gulf of Mexico. With every acre of marsh we restore, we strengthen the natural buffer that separates the two.”
The $25 million project is funded by the Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act (CWPPRA) with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) as the federal sponsor.
“Stabilizing the shoreline surrounding the New Orleans Landbridge is critical in protecting the area’s remaining marsh and natural coastal resources,” said CPRA Executive Director Bren Haase . “This project seamlessly combines restoration and protection elements to reinforce CPRA’s multiple lines of defense strategy.”