NEW ORLEANS – Today, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District and Plaquemines Parish Government signed a partnership agreement for the initiation of the Louisiana Coastal Area Beneficial Use of Dredged Material program. This agreement allows the Corps and Plaquemines Parish to design the first marsh creation projects under this program, and positions these projects for construction in 2015, dependent on funding.
The first projects target material dredged from the lower Mississippi River to create approximately 300 to 600 acres of marsh in the Bird’s Foot Delta, specifically areas along Grand Pass and West Bay. The exact location of the marsh creation cells, acreage to be created and the source of the dredged material will be determined during design of the project. This effort will provide valuable habitat for wildlife and fisheries, reduce the loss of important coastal landscapes in Plaquemines Parish and help sustain the ecosystems of coastal Louisiana.
“Today’s signing of the LCA Beneficial Use of Dredged Material Design Agreement is important because it marks the first step towards construction for this program,” said COL Hansen, Commander, USACE-New Orleans District. “I am confident in the success we will have with this project, and look forward to more opportunities to partner with Plaquemines Parish and the State of Louisiana to secure federal funding for the implementation of coastal restoration projects.”
“The signing of the LCA BUDMAT Design Agreement is a huge step for Plaquemines Parish working in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District. The program will allow for beneficial use projects to maximize resources in Plaquemines by taking dredged material and using them to create and restore our vitally important coast here in the parish,” said Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser. “In Plaquemines Parish we are determined to see the success of the BUDMAT initiative.”
For photos from today event, please visit the Corps’ Flickr site at:
Overall, the LCA BUDMAT program was authorized in WRDA 2007 and aims to use material dredged from federally-maintained waterways throughout the New Orleans District beneficially to create and restore coastal landscape features, such as marshes, ridges and islands. The program can execute beneficial use projects over a ten year period for a total cost of $100 million.
For more information on the program, please visit:
http://www.mvn.usace.army.mil/Missions/Environmental/LouisianaCoastalArea.aspx
Release no. 14-041