For Immediate Release: February 3, 2010
Contact: Chris Macaluso
(225) 342-3968
chris.macaluso@la.gov
State Coastal Restoration Officials Announce Completion of Crucial Shoreline Protection Project in Cameron Parish
BATON ROUGE -- Louisiana coastal protection and restoration officials announced Wednesday the completion of a $10.6 million shoreline protection project in Cameron Parish that will help protect fragile and rapidly eroding freshwater marshes in the Mermentau River Basin.
The project, named the Grand Lake Shoreline Protection project, constructed 37,100 linear feet of rock breakwaters along the southwest shoreline of Grand Lake between Superior Canal and Catfish Lake. The area, which is historically freshwater marsh, was greatly affected by both Hurricane Rita in 2005 and Hurricane Ike in 2008 which inundated the Mermentau River Basin with saltwater from the Gulf of Mexico.
Additionally, strong north winds from fall and winter cold fronts have contributed to shoreline erosion rates between 11 and 32 feet in the last decade along the south shore of Grand Lake.
Construction of the shoreline protection began in August of 2009.
Project funding came from Louisiana's Coastal Impact Assistance Plan (CIAP). CIAP was established in the federal Energy Policy Act of 2005 and is administered by the Minerals Management Service (MMS). It provides funds to coastal petroleum producing states to mitigate the onshore impacts of offshore oil and gas exploration.
Louisiana is set to receive more than $495 million overall from CIAP in the four year span of the program from 2007-2010, with 65 percent of the funds going to the state and 35 percent allocated to the 19 coastal parishes. All projects must be approved by MMS and all funds must be expended by 2014.
In addition to the Grand Lake Shoreline Protection Project, CIAP funds are being directed to a host of coastal restoration projects including the restoration of East Grand Terre Island in Plaquemines Parish, marsh creation and restoration on the Barataria Landbridge in Jefferson Parish, shoreline protection along the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway in Terrebonne Parish and marsh creation through the beneficial use of dredge materail removed during maintenance of the Calcasieu Ship Channel in Cameron Parish.
A complete list of the projects being planned, designed and constructed in Louisiana is available in the February 2010 issue of the CIAP Newsletter, which can be viewed by clicking here.
For more information about Louisiana CIAP projects and Louisiana's coastal restoration and protection efforts, please contact Chris Macaluso at (225) 342-3972 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 marshaling the expertise and resources of the Louisiana Office of Coastal Protection and Restoration 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.
