For Immediate Release: November 20, 2008
Contact: Chris Macaluso
(225) 342-3968
chris.macaluso@la.gov
CPRA and Bayou Lafourche Freshwater District to Make Joint Announcement on Bayou Restoration Project
THIBODAUX, La. -- The Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority and the Bayou Lafourche Freshwater District will hold a press conference at the Wetland's Acadian Cultural Center, located at 314 St. Mary St. in Thibodaux Friday, November 21 at 2 p.m. to discuss a major step forward on efforts to clear and restore the capacity of Bayou Lafourche for drinking water supplies to more than 300,000 South Louisiana residents and restoration of the coastal ecosystem.
Under the cooperative endeavor agreement, the CPRA will provide up to $20 million and technical support to the Bayou Lafourche Freshwater District to clear debris, restore the bayou's capacity, and provide additional freshwater to the bayou.
The initial project will focus on the upper 6.2-mile stretch of the bayou to allow for more water to be pumped into the system from the Mississippi River.
This additional capacity will improve safe drinking water supplies for communities in Ascension, Assumption, Lafourche and Terrebonne Parish and help to restore the coastal ecosystem. Water supplies to communities in those parishes were contaminated by high bacteria levels due to stagnant water and plant decomposition after Hurricanes Gustav and Ike.
For more information, please contact Chris Macaluso at (225) 342-3968 or by email at chris.macaluso@la.gov.
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The Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority's mandate is to develop, implement and enforce a comprehensive coastal protection and restoration master plan. For the first time in Louisiana's history, this single state authority will integrate coastal restoration and hurricane protection by marshalling the expertise and resources of the Department of Natural Resources, the Department of Transportation and Development, and other state agencies, to speak with one clear voice for the future of Louisiana's coast. Working with federal, state and local political subdivisions, including levee districts, the CPRA will work to establish a safe and sustainable coast that will protect our communities, the nation's critical energy infrastructure, and our bountiful natural resources for generations to come. The CPRA of Louisiana was established by Act 8 of the 1st Extraordinary Session of 2005.
