This area was damaged by Hurricanes Rita, Gustav, and Ike. Currently, Freshwater Bayou threatens to breach into the large interior open water and establish a hydrologic connection that previously did not exist. This would exacerbate the environmental problems affecting marshes in this area. Additionally, interior marsh loss has increased and organic soils are being exported into Freshwater Bayou. Interior marsh loss will increase without construction of the proposed project.
The project goals include: 1) creating/nourishing marsh and associated edge habitat for aquatic species through pipeline sediment delivery via dedicated dredging from the Gulf of Mexico or beneficial use of maintenance dredging from the Freshwater Bayou Canal; 2) restoring a wetland buffer between the large open water areas in the Mermentau Basin and Freshwater Bayou. Project features include creating and/or nourishing approximately 401 acres of marsh using dredge material.
The project features are located in Vermilion Parish, Louisiana in an area west of Freshwater Bayou and north of the Freshwater Bayou Locks.
This project is on Priority Project List (PPL) 19.
The Freshwater Bayou Marsh Creation project sponsors include:
- Federal Sponsor: Natural Resources and Conservation Service
- Local Sponsor: Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority
Keep up with this project and other CWPPRA projects on the project page.
CWPPRA 