Louisiana Oyster Cultch Project
Implementing Organization
State of Louisiana
Overview
DWH Project Funding
$14,874,300
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
Oysters/Reefs
Project Description
The Louisiana Oyster Cultch Project involved: (1) placement of oyster cultch onto public oyster seed grounds throughout six areas in coastal Louisiana (3-Mile Bay, Drum Bay, Lake Fortuna, South Black Bay, Hackberry Bay and Sister Lake), and (2) construction of an oyster hatchery facility in Grand Isle, LA to improve existing oyster hatchery operations and produce supplemental larvae and seed. Larvae produced at the hatchery can be released into the water directly over cultch material or be remotely set on oyster cultch to create oyster seed. The goal of Project was to produce seed-sized and sack-sized oysters on public oyster seed grounds. The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) completed oyster cultch material placement activities at all six sites by June 2013. The oyster hatchery was fully constructed in August of 2015. Performance criteria specified in the project monitoring plan were achieved in July 2014 for the oyster cultch portion and August 2015 for the hatchery. After performance criteria were met and the project goals achieved, there were $2,740,000 remaining. While the oyster cultch placement as a whole was successful in that it met the established performance criteria, the 2012 Lake Fortuna cultch plant did not individually meet the success criteria. The Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group (LA TIG) approved Resolution LA-2017-007 allocating the remaining $2,740,000 for a project modification to place additional cultch material on the existing Lake Fortuna cultch plant and perform additional monitoring to evaluate the success of the cultch plant. The scope for the Lake Fortuna modification called...click on "More Info" link below
Contact
CPRA Baton Rouge Office(225) 342-7308
latig@la.gov
Project Website
None
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