Corps adds over 600 acres of habitat to Delta National Wildlife Refuge

Published March 22, 2013

For Immediate Release:

March 22, 2013

USACE Contact:

Rachel Rodi, 504-862-2587

Rachel.Rodi@usace.army.mil

USFWS Contact:

Refuge Manager Neil Lalonde, 985-882-2026

Neil_Lalonde@fws.gov


 

Corps adds over 600 acres of habitat to Delta National Wildlife Refuge

Weeks Marine began dredging the HDDA in September 2012 and removed over 8 million cubic yards of material from the disposal site. This material was pumped over 13,000 yards to build a marsh platform at an elevation of +7 feet in Delta National Wildlife Refuge, north of Pass a Loutre. The dredged material placement sites and marsh platform elevations were determined in coordination with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

 

Since this beneficial use of dredged material is related to O&M responsibilities for the federal navigation channel, the project was 100 percent federally-funded.  The Corps has been strategically placing dredged material in the refuge since the late 1990s, and the wetlands that have been created through these restoration efforts provide vital habitat for many fish and wildlife species, specifically wintering waterfowl that live here. Delta National Wildlife Refuge is located within the Mississippi River Bird’s Foot Delta, 10 miles south of Venice, LA, and encompasses 48,000 acres.

 

For photos of the beneficial use of dredged material, please visit our Flickr page.

 

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Contact
Rachel Rodi
504-862-2587
or
Neil Lalonde
985-882-2026

Release no. 13-013