LDWF, CPRA Announce Progress on Elmer’s Island Scheme

Beginning on August 10, 2016 the beach area of Elmer’s Island will be closed for 12 days to the public as construction activities progress near the public parking area where the access road meets the beach, according to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.

Construction activities on the west side of Elmer’s Island access road will be near completion on August 22 and, once construction activities safely progress to the east past the parking area, foot traffic will reopen to the west side of the island.

Project construction is anticipated to continue on the east side of the island through the fall.

The Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) is restoring the beach habitat of the Caminada Headland by transporting sand from Ship Shoal, an underwater sand body located approximately 30 miles away in the Gulf of Mexico to restore habitat on the barrier shoreline.

The restoration of the headland occurred in two project increments.

Increment I of the project (the western half) was completed in December of 2014 and restored approximately 300 acres and 6 miles of beach and dune habitat.

Increment II (the eastern half) is larger and will restore approximately 500 acres and 7 miles of beach and dune.

In total, the two projects will restore 13 miles of Louisiana’s barrier shoreline and represent one of the largest restoration projects ever constructed by the CPRA with a combined project investment of over $200 million.

[mappress mapid=”22819″]