The Louisiana CPRA yesterday announced the start of dredging activities on the Cameron Meadows Marsh Creation and Terracing Project in Cameron Parish.
Using 1.9 million cubic yards of sediment pumped from the Gulf of Mexico, the area will see the addition of 308 acres of marsh. The restoration project will address the loss of a large area of marsh 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. “Large scale marsh creation plays an integral role in our state’s multiple lines of defense strategy,” CPRA Chairman Chip Kline said. “The Cameron Meadows project will fortify the natural buffer that protects Southwest Louisiana from storm surge while restoring hundreds of acres of coastal marsh habitat lost due to hurricanes and other factors.”
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).
The project’s first phase, construction of 12,150 linear feet of earthen terraces, was completed in June 2021. The terraces serve to reduce wave erosion and allow sediment deposition for land building.
Great Lakes Dredge and Dock (GLDD) was awarded the competitively bid contract for construction, which is anticipated to be complete by January 2022.