The Cameron Meadows Marsh Creation project is now complete.
Nearly 2 million cubic yards of sediment were dredged from the Gulf of Mexico and pumped 5 miles inland to build more than 300 acres of marsh and 2.3 miles of terraces to increase sediment deposition and reduce the impacts of wave erosion and saltwater intrusion.
“We are thrilled to deliver another large-scale restoration project to Southwest Louisiana,” said Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) Chairman Chip Kline.
“For years, this region has felt the impact of major hurricanes, storms, and land loss at increasing rates. We know that with every acre of coastal land and marsh we restore, we strengthen the natural buffer between these forces and the people that call Southwest Louisiana home.”
This project addressed a large area of marsh that 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.
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).
Construction was carried out by Great Lakes Dredge and Dock (GLDD).