The MRGO Ecosystem Restoration Plan was developed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as a supplement to the MRGO Deep-Draft Deauthorization Report to Congress.  The comprehensive ecosystem restoration plan is aimed at the restoration and conservation of estuarine habitat areas affected by the MRGO navigation channel.  Section 7013 of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2007 authorized the development of the plan, and a feasibility study, fully funded by the Federal government, is complete. 

On October 2, 2012, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released the Chief of Engineers' Report for the "Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (MRGO) Ecosystem Restoration Feasibility Study" recommending construction of the restoration plan upon identification of a non-federal cost share sponsor.  The Corps of Engineers worked diligently in collaboration with the State of Louisiana's Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA), other local governmental entities, resource agencies, environmental organizations, landowners and interested citizens to produce a plan to restore the critical Lake Borgne and environs ecosystem.

The plan submitted to Congress in Sep 2013 made the determination that Tier 1 features of the plan were cost-effective, environmentally acceptable, and technically feasible at a cost of $1.3B.  WRDA 2022 made the project 100% Federal.