The Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) announced the start of construction activities on the Biloxi Marsh Living Shoreline project in St. Bernard Parish.
The project will create living oyster reefs and shoreline protection southeast of the Biloxi Wildlife Management Area.
Hardened material is being used to create breakwaters that will provide protection against wave erosion and supply hard substrate for oyster settlement. Upon completion, the project will provide approximately 11 miles of shoreline protection for the degrading marsh.
Construction of the $67 million project is funded by the Natural Resources Damage Assessment (NRDA) through the Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group (LA TIG).
St. Bernard Parish President Guy McInnis says the unique challenges we face in coastal Louisiana require innovative solutions like those being implemented by the CPRA.
In recent years, rates of yearly shoreline retreat in the project area were as high as 48 feet, endangering the nearly 40,000-acre Biloxi Wildlife Management Area (WMA).
In addition to serving as refuge for mammals during high tide events, the Biloxi WMA is home to fish, shrimp, crabs, and waterfowl.