Project Page

Shoreline Protection at Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve

Implementing Organization

US Department of the Interior

Overview

DWH Project Funding

$24,271,610

Known Leveraged Funding

$0

Funding Organization

Natural Resource Damage Assessment Trustees (NRDA)

Funding Program

Natural Resource Damage Assessment NRDA

Details

Project Category

Environmental

Project Actions

Habitat Restoration and Enhancement

Targeted Resources

Other

Project Description

This project will increase protection of existing submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) in Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve from wave energy and create favorable conditions for reestablishment of at least 50 acres of SAV in the park. Additionally, the project will limit future erosion to the area by reducing wave action to the shorelines. In responding to the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill, the decision to release fresh water from the Davis Pond structure to Lake Cataouatche resulted in the loss of 50 acres of SAV in the nearshore waters of Barataria Preserve, a unit of the Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve. The Programmatic Damage Assessment and Restoration Plan states, “Areas with suitable water quality conditions for SAV growth should be selected and water quality maintained. Additionally, existing SAV should be protected from wave energy and, ideally, restoration should take place where SAV has previously existed.” The preserve meets these conditions except for SAV protection from wave energy. The SAV community in the injured area has not recovered since the original injury occurred, despite the presence of adjacent SAV beds that are reproducing via seeds and vegetative spreading and are not dispersal limited. Contiguous SAV beds reduced erosion on the adjacent marsh shoreline and decreased the resuspension of sediments in the water column by stabilizing the benthic substrate and reducing wave action. The reduced coverage of these SAV beds has likely created a positive feedback loop where reduced cover has further increased sediment suspension and wave energy, thereby increasing erosion to th...click on "More Info" link below

Contact

Nanciann Regalado
(678) 296-6805
nanciann_regalado@fws.gov
Project Website
Project Partners

None

Affiliated Institutions

For official trustee information regarding the Deepwater Horizon NRDA, including information regarding the NRDA process and the status of projects, see https://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/

+ View Raw Data