Aerial photo of constructed terraces at the “Jaws” project.

Project Status

Location
This project is located in the northeast portion of West Cote Blanche Bay in St. Mary Parish, Louisiana.

Problems
Continuous wind and wave energy in the bay is preventing sediments from the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway from becoming marsh. In addition, these energies are causing a shoreline erosion rate of 15 feet/year.

Restoration Strategy
This project was authorized to reduce wave-induced shoreline erosion within the project area and promote the deposition of sediment by creating vegetated wetland terraces and reducing wave fetch, or the distance waves can travel unimpeded. Distributary channels will be dredged to deliver water and sediment to the project area.

One way to trap sediments is to build both vegetated terraces to dissipate wave energy and distributary channels to direct sediments to the project area. Low wave and current energy allow sediments to drop out of the water column, thereby accreting and allowing wetland vegetation to establish. This project calls for the dredging of a distributary channel system that will facilitate spreading the sediment load over a wide area. Dredge spoil will be used to create low elevation terraces along the landward flank of each dredged distributary to protect the depositional area associated with the channel landward of the terrace.

Progress to Date
Construction was completed in December, 2004. The project is currently in the O&M phase.

This project is listed on Priority Project List 6.

For more project information, please contact:
	Federal Sponsor: National Marine Fisheries Service Baton Rouge, LA (225) 389-0508
	Local Sponsor: Louisiana Department of Natural Resources Baton Rouge, LA (225) 342-7308

www.LaCoast.gov