Rabbit Island Restoration Project
Implementing Organization
State of Louisiana
Overview
DWH Project Funding
$16,440,000
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
Species Restoration
Targeted Resources
Birds/Bird Habitat
Project Description
The marshes of Cameron Parish are home to a limited number of bird rookeries. Rabbit Island is important to a number of colonial nesting bird species, including brown pelicans and reddish egrets. Rabbit Island is the westernmost nesting ground for brown pelicans in Louisiana. The island is centrally located along the Chenier Plain, about one mile from the southwestern shore of Calcasieu Lake and two miles west of the Calcasieu ship channel. Wind-generated waves in the shallow estuary, coupled with periodic high tides that are amplified by the ship channel, had slowly eroded Rabbit Island. Prior to this restoration, the island has lost 89 acres of landmass, or 35% of its area with the majority of its 200 acres footprint being open water. This project utilized dredged sediment from the Calcasieu Ship Channel to restore the elevation of the island. After construction there was 102 acres of restored nesting bird habitat which includes 81 acres of colonial water bird nesting habitat and 21 acres of secretive marsh bird nesting habitat. An additional 63 acres of wading and shorebird foraging habitat was also created.
Contact
Todd Baker(225) 342-4807
Todd.Baker@la.gov
Project Website
None
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/