| ; , LA AREA: |
| 04/01/2007 36 Months |
| Current Status |
Effective Date |
Comments |
| Included in Recovery Plan |
04/07/2006 |
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The objective of the project is to halt bank erosion through the construction of a stone dike on the eastern bank of Freshwater Bayou Canal between Belle Isle Bayou and Freshwater Bayou Lock (the western bank has already been completed). A 40,000 foot-long rock dike is being constructed. The dike will be continuous except for openings left at the mouths of several oil well canals where the dike will be tied into the bank on both sides of each canal. The project will also include the incorporation of bank shaping and bio-engineering techniques to improve the stabilization of the shoreline on both sides of the water course. This project will prevent both the widening of the river channel and the re-entry of large, uncontrolled volumes of water into the marshes along the bayou. This will protect the marshes from erosion helping to restore and maintain critical wetland habitat by preventing conversion of existing marsh to open water.
Hurricane Rita exploited vulnerabilities created by developmental activities along the Vermilion coast, further reducing the natural buffer and increasing inland damage. Just as many independent actions over time contributed to the vulnerability, no one action will repair the damage and reduce the vulnerability. This project is one of seven interrelated projects which together will achieve the goal of restoration and preservation of 60,000 acres of Vermilion Parish wetlands, marsh and coastline by 2011. By achieving this goal future storm related losses throughout the Parish will be reduced.
In 1960, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was authorized to construct a navigation channel from mile 161.2 of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway south to the Gulf of Mexico. The present channel is 600 feet wide because of wakes from boat traffic. In the reach of the canal between Freshwater Bayou Lock and Belle Isle Bayou, breaches in the bank have developed at numerous locations.
The breaches are allowing boat wakes and hydrologic action to adversely affect the interior marsh east of the canal. Turbid, higher salinity water is entering the interior marsh, causing marsh loss and decreasing coverage of submerged aquatic vegetation. The wakes from passing vessels and tidal action are causing the export of organic material from the project area. A large area of interior marsh in the northern part of the project area is breaking apart and turning into open water. The effects of shoreline erosion are a direct conversion of marsh to open water and an increase in the introduction of higher salinity waters to formerly fresh and intermediate marshes.
Hurricane Rita took advantage of these breaches to accelerate the process of marsh destruction. This project will both limit further damage and help repair the affects of the storm. It is estimated that of the seven projects this will have the greatest impact on achieving the recovery goal.
The economy and culture of Vermilion Parish is closely linked to the health of the Louisiana coast. The residents of coastal Louisiana are dependent on activities that are directly tied to the coast such as fishing, shrimping, ship building, oil & gas exploration & extraction, and other supporting industries. The residents of Vermilion Parish treasure the wildlife and open spaces provided by a healthy coastline. For all these reasons, protection of the coast and preservation of existing wetlands is a high priority for the people of the Parish.
This project impacts all residents in the southeastern section of Vermilion Parish because of the length of the Bayou to be armored and the amount of marsh acreage to be protected.
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