Southwest Coastal Louisiana Chief of Engineers Report signed
NEW ORLEANS, LA – Recently, Lieutenant General Todd T. Semonite, Chief of Engineers, signed the Chief of Engineers’ Report for the “Southwest Coastal Louisiana” project for transmission to Congress.
The Southwest Coastal Louisiana project will provide non-structural hurricane and storm surge damage risk reduction measures, as well as ecosystem restoration features, in the 4,700 square mile study area located in Calcasieu, Cameron, and Vermilion Parishes in southwest Louisiana.
Proposed measures of the non-structural plan include residential structure elevation and flood proofing for approx. 4,000 qualifying structures to reduce potential damages from future tropical storms and hurricanes.
The ecosystem-related purpose of the project is to significantly restore environmental conditions for the Chenier Plain ecosystem as more fully described in the Southwest Coastal Louisiana Integrated Final Feasibility Report and Environmental Impact Statement, dated April 2016. The feasibility report recommends a variety of ecosystem restoration features including marsh restoration, shoreline stabilization/protection, and Chenier reforestation. The feasibility report was a joint effort with the State of Louisiana acting through the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Board.
To begin construction on the Southwest Coastal Louisiana project, Congressional authorization and appropriation is needed.
Release no. UNRELEASED