A shrinking strip of New Orleans marsh helps protect 1.5 million people. Louisiana wants to save it
The project would rebuild 1,320 acres of marsh with dredged sediment and native plants, officials said, to strengthen flood protection for more than 1.5 million people.
- Last week, a state and federal panel announced plans to restore 1,320 acres of marshland along the Rigolets, launching a $101 million project to rebuild this critical barrier protecting New Orleans from Gulf storm surges.
- This marshland acts as a vital natural defense for more than 1.5 million residents living near Lake Pontchartrain, where the levee system faces increased vulnerability to breaching during severe storms without it.
- To rebuild the land, crews will use about 5 million cubic yards of sediment dredged from the Lake St. Catherine lagoon, reinforcing the area with plastic fabric "mattresses" filled with crushed limestone to blunt wave erosion.
- Funded by Deepwater Horizon settlements, the project represents a step toward stabilization, with Pontchartrain Conservancy executive director Kristi Trail saying, "This one is particularly important because it does a daily job of protecting from waves."
- While Governor Jeff Landry canceled nearly $5 billion in Mississippi River sediment diversions over cost concerns, the state still plans to spend $1.54 billion on 143 coastal restoration projects during the 2027 fiscal year.
11 Articles
11 Articles
New Orleans Land Bridge restoration aims to strengthen coastal protection
The New Orleans Land Bridge is a critical area of coastal marshland that acts as a natural line of defense for southeast Louisiana, Louisiana Illuminator reports. Located between Lake Pontchartrain and the Gulf of Mexico, it helps absorb storm surge, reduce wave energy and lessen flooding risks for communities throughout the region, including New Orleans and surrounding parishes. Scientists and coastal experts consider it one of the most import…
A shrinking strip of New Orleans marsh helps protect 1.5 million peopl
There’s an increasingly narrow strip of New Orleans marshland that hardly anyone lives on, but without it, hundreds of thousands of people will face far greater risks from storms and floods. The area, commonly called the New Orleans Land Bridge, stretches from New Orleans East to St. Tammany Parish and separates Lake Pontchartrain from the Gulf of Mexico. Like much of Louisiana’s coast, it’s disappearing at a rapid rate. The on-again, off-again …
Associated Press News
A shrinking strip of New Orleans marsh helps protect 1.5 million people. Louisiana wants to save it
The effort to restore an increasingly narrow strip of New Orleans marshland could get a jump-start next year with a $101 million project.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 50% of the sources lean Left
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
