Construction is currently underway on the almost 1,200-acre Upper Barataria Marsh Creation project. NOAA is the lead implementing trustee on behalf of the Deepwater Horizon Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group, and this is NOAA’s largest habitat restoration effort to date. Over the next several months, we invite you to follow along as the project team shares progress updates and more information about the effort.
The project, which is expected to be completed in 2023, will build upon previous efforts to restore wetland habitats in Louisiana. We’ll share progress updates, photographs, videos, and renderings that illustrate the construction process and the impact this project will have on our natural landscape as well as local communities. We’ll share highlights via web updates, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, and we hope you’ll follow along!
Project Details
The project was approved by the Deepwater Horizon Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group in the Phase 2 Restoration Plan 3.3: Large-Scale Barataria Marsh Creation: Upper Barataria Component to restore habitats impacted by the 2010 oil spill. The project is underway through NOAA’s strong partnership with the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA), who are leading Louisiana’s Coastal Master Plan.
To create the new habitat, workers will fill target areas in the Barataria Basin with more than 8 million cubic yards of sediment dredged from the Mississippi River and pumped through 13 miles of 30-inch pipe. Once there, the sediment will be held in place by man-made dikes. The sediment is contained to keep the slurry—sediment and water—within the marsh creation area, allowing the water to drain from the sediment. This work is expected to provide more than 140 construction-related jobs, further enhancing economic resilience in the region.
Upon completion, the new, healthy coastal wetland habitat will support diverse species of fish and wildlife and help reduce impacts of future storms on other coastal resources and communities. Recreational and economic benefits will include ecotourism, boating, hunting, trapping, birdwatching, and fishing.
Information about other Deepwater Horizon projects in Louisiana can be found through the interactive Gulf Spill Restoration Projects map.