COASTAL WETLANDS PLANNING, PROTECTION AND RESTORATION ACT

PROJECT STATUS REPORT as of 01-May-2024

Violet Freshwater Distribution DEAUTHORIZED

PROJECT DATA

PROJECT: Violet Freshwater Distribution DEAUTHORIZED
PRIORITY LIST: 3 PROJECT NO: 0336 CWPPRA NO: PO-9a DNR NO: PO-09a
PROJECT TYPE: Outfall Management NET ACRES BENEFITTED:
REGION: 1 BASIN: Pontchartrain PARISH: St. Bernard
LEAD AGENCY: NRCS
LOCAL SPONSOR: DEPT. OF NATURAL RESOURCES, STATE OF LA.

MILESTONES:

CSA EXECUTION: 13-Oct-1994 ( Actual )    
DESIGN COMPLETION:    
CONSTRUCTION START:    
CONSTRUCTION COMPLETION:    
ESCROW AMENDMENT 15-May-1998 ( Actual ) No: 31
MONITORING PLAN APPROVAL:    
O and M PLAN APPROVAL:    
DEAUTHORIZATION DATE: 04-Oct-2000      
CASH FLOW PROECTS:        
Phase 1 Approval: 01-Oct-1993 ( Actual )    
Phase 2 Approval:    

LEGISLATIVE DISTRICTS:

CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT: 1 Steve Scalise
STATE SENATE DISTRICT: 1 A. G. Crowe
STATE HOUSE DISTRICT: 103 Raymond E. Garofalo

Point of Contact:

DEPT. OF COMMERCE
NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES SERVICE

Quin Kinler



Denham Springs, LA 
PHONES:  
Office:
Fax:

COASTAL WETLANDS PLANNING, PROTECTION AND RESTORATION ACT

PROJECT STATUS REPORT as of 01-May-2024

Violet Freshwater Distribution DEAUTHORIZED

PROJECT LOCATION:

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

The project complements the existing siphons diverting Mississippi River water into 17,980 acres of brackish and saline marsh in St. Bernard Parish known as the Central Wetlands Management Unit. Construction of the Mississippi River levee and the MRGO has resulted in dramatic and detrimental ecosystem change to the project area. The levees effectively stopped annual flooding that served to nourish the surrounding marshes with sediments, nutrients, and fresh water. Construction of the MRGO allowed saline waters from the Gulf to regularly inundate this area, resulting in a habitat change from a healthy swamp to a deteriorating brackish marsh. The Violet Siphons were constructed with the objective of restoring the project area to a fresher state through mimicking the former behavior of the Mississippi River by siphoning fresh water into the marsh. The siphons were operational for only 4 years due primarily to public opposition to large amounts of sediment deposited in Violet Canal, interfering with navigation. The siphons are currently operational. The objective of the outfall management plan is to optimize the use of fresh water and sediment supplied by the existing siphons by managing water flow through the area. This will be accomplished by reducing channelized flow and routing the diverted flow across marshes or through shallow water areas instead of through larger channels so that suspended sediments are deposited and marshes are nourished and created.

PROJECT STATUS: (Project Status Last Updated: 01-Jan-1990 )

Rights-of-way to gain access to the site was a problem due to multiple landowner coordination, and additional questions have arisen about rights to operate existing siphon. Project deauthorized, October 4, 2000.

FUND STATUS:

The current project estimate is $128,627 , which includes $85,717 for construction first costs, and $42,910 and $0 for 20 years of monitoring and operations and maintenance, respectively.

LaCoast.gov Project Managers' Technical Factsheet