The Louisiana Legislature has given final approval to a $1.5 billion plan for coastal protection and restoration. Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Chairman Gordon Dove says one of the highlights of the annual plan is a 94-mile land bridge from Port Sulphur in Plaquemines Parish to Terrebonne Parish.
“Which is about 1,500 feet wide, at a +6, with rocks and living reefs on the south side of it. That is going to protect about eight Parishes,” Dove explained.
Restore the Mississippi River Delta supports many of the projects including the River Reintroduction into Maurepas Swamp Project, which will divert fresh water from the Mississippi River into the second-largest coastal forest remaining in Louisiana. Amanda Moore is with the National Wildlife Federation:
“It will be complete in the next couple of years, and that project will restore about 45,000 acres of swamp and marsh habitat just outside of New Orleans,” Moore said.
But Restore the Mississippi River Delta remains upset that the Landry administration cancelled the Mid-Barataria and Mid-Breton Sediment diversions. Moore says the state already spent nearly $700 million in Deepwater Horizon funds on these two large diversions.
“That is a lot of money. And that is a huge concern, if you lose that type of money, when you are limited in your resources and what you can do to restore the coast,” Moore noted.
However, Dove says you get a better bang for your buck with land bridges.
“Land bridges have been around a long time; scientifically, engineering-wise, they’re your best method to protect our coast,” Dove said.