Construction activity is underway on the Cameron Meadows Marsh Creation and Terracing project located in Cameron Parish, northwest of Holly Beach, the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) informs.
This restoration project will address a large area of marsh that has degraded into open water due to subsidence, saltwater surge from Hurricane Rita and other storms, excessive drought, and salt water retention as a result of silted-in canals which prohibited adequate drainage.
According to CPRA, containment dikes are currently being constructed to hold approximately 2.36 million cubic yards of sand dredged from the Gulf of Mexico and pumped five miles inland to build more than 308 acres of marsh.
An additional 11 acres will be added with the construction of 2.8 miles of terrace structures which will reduce wave erosion and allow sediment deposition for land building.
Additionally, several water control structures and protection measures will reduce saltwater intrusion on adjacent properties.
The $32 million project is funded by the Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act (CWPPRA) and is a joint effort by CPRA and the federal sponsor, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Great Lakes Dredge and Dock was awarded the competitively-bid contract for construction, which is expected to be complete by the end of this year.