COASTAL WETLANDS PLANNING, PROTECTION AND RESTORATION ACT

PROJECT STATUS REPORT as of 25-Apr-2024

Freshwater Introduction South of Highway 82

PROJECT DATA

Point of Contact:

DEPT. OF THE INTERIOR
FISH & WILDLIFE SERVICE

COASTAL WETLANDS PLANNING, PROTECTION AND RESTORATION ACT

PROJECT STATUS REPORT as of 25-Apr-2024

Freshwater Introduction South of Highway 82

PROJECT LOCATION:

The project is located in the north central and eastern portions of Rockefeller State Wildlife Refuge in Cameron and Vermilion Parishes, LA. It is bounded by Hwy 82 to the north, the eastern boundary of Rockefeller Refuge Unit 6 to the west, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and a north-south line south of the eastern boundary of Unit 15 on the east.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

The project area encompasses about 20,000 acres consisting of 15,835 acres of intermediate, brackish and saline marshes and 4,153 acres of open water. The project would help to direct excess fresh water from the Lakes subbasin to the Chenier subbasin of the Mermentau Basin to help reduce saltwater impacts to the brackish marshes in the south-central and southeastern portion of the refuge. The existing hydrologic barriers of LA Hwy 82, numerous canals and levees greatly reduce fresh water flow to those marshes. The project features include structures which improve freshwater flow across LA Hwy 82 and into the refuge. Project components include: I) Components that move freshwater from White Lake across LA Hwy 82: 1) enlarge boat trail connecting Superior Canal to the E-W oil and gas canal to the Highway 82 northern borrow canal (20' bottom width, 4 feet deep, 3:1 side slope, and top width of 44'); 2) connect the Grand Volle Ditch to White Lake and enlarge it from White Lake to Hwy 82 (20' bottom width, 4 feet deep, 3:1 side slope, and top width of 44'); 3) connect Unit 14 canal to White Lake and enlarge (20' bottom width, 4 feet deep, 3:1 side slope, and top width of 44'). II. Components that move Freshwater from Hwy 82 to Target Marshes. 1) Install 6-48" culverts with stop logs on north side and flap gates on the south side in the existing plug in the Rockefeller Refuge boundary Line Canal E of Superior Canal adjacent to Unit 13. 2) Retrofit the Big and Little Constance Bayou structures by installing 2 -10' x 10' flap gates with stop logs on the northern or Unit 6 side on each structure to allow fresh water to flow when conditions permit. 3) Install 4-48" culverts with stop logs on the north side and flap gates on the south side in Dyson Bayou. 4) Install at Site 8, 4-48 inch diameter culverts with stop logs on north side and flap gates on the south side in Cop-Cop Bayou; and 5) Install at each of Sites 9 through 12, three 48" diameter culverts with stop logs on north side and flap gates on the south side in the Boundary Line levee between Rockefeller's Unit 6 and 14. III. Marsh Restoration through Earthen Terraces: 1) Construct and revegetate 150 to 200-foot long earthen terraces in open water between Rockefeller's Units 6 and 14 to restore about 80 acres of marsh in shallow open water.

PROJECT STATUS: (Project Status Last Updated: 12-Mar-2021 )

In 2020, project features received damage from Hurricane Laura and these damages are currently being assessed.

FUND STATUS:

The current project estimate is $5,536,397 , which includes $4,853,156 for construction first costs, and $384,301 and $298,939 for 20 years of monitoring and operations and maintenance, respectively.