Nearly 4 million cubic yards of dredged sand needed for the West Belle Headland repair

Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) have signed a Noncompetitive Negotiated Agreement (NNA) authorizing the use of up to four million cubic yards of sand to repair West Belle Headland following damage caused by Hurricane Zeta.

Originally part of the Terrebonne Basin Barrier Island and Beach Nourishment project, work on West Belle Headland was nearing completion when Hurricane Zeta made landfall in October 2020, causing significant damage to the project, including the loss of nearly 75% of the sand and mixed sediment that had already been placed.

The rebuild will be constructed entirely from sand dredged from federal waters, making the project more resilient than the original design, which incorporated a near-shore mixed sediment source.

“We incorporate maintenance and monitoring in the design of all of our projects, but when a powerful storm like Hurricane Zeta makes a direct impact on a project site, we sometimes have to go back to the drawing board to ensure we are building the strongest, most sustainable project for the environment and elements,” said CPRA Executive Director Michael Hare.

Through its Marine Minerals Program, BOEM provides sand, gravel, and/or shell resources from federal waters on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) for shore protection, beach nourishment, and wetlands restoration. The nearly four million cubic yards of dredged sand for the West Belle Headland Repair will come from two borrow sites on the Ship Shoal sand body.

“BOEM values its partnership with the state of Louisiana. Restoring the coastline devastated by hurricanes continues to be a priority for our bureau,” said BOEM Gulf of America Regional Supervisor Matthew Wilson. “Utilizing sand from the Outer Continental Shelf not only fights the effects of coastal erosion, it helps bolster critical infrastructure.”

Due to the damage caused by the storm, CPRA is pursuing funding through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Public Assistance program to complete the project.

To date, the project has received $722,150 from FEMA to complete design and environmental review. FEMA is reviewing the final plans from CPRA to make a decision regarding construction funding. CPRA anticipates a decision from FEMA later this year and plans to put the project out for bid in the fall.