2 major coastal projects get go-ahead from BP oil spill settlement trustees

Two major coastal restoration projects got the final go-ahead to begin construction in Louisiana, together restoring up to 1,700 acres of coastal shoreline and wetland habitat at a total cost of $265 million.

The East Orleans Landbridge and Raccoon Island restoration projects have been given final approval by Trustees of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill settlement dollars. 

The East Orleans project will create and restore marsh habitat along the landbridge separating Lake Pontchartrain from Lake Borgne and the Gulf of Mexico.

This narrow strip of marsh serves as an “important protective and hydrologic feature,” according to the trustees, providing habitat for fish, birds and other Louisiana wildlife as well as reducing the intensity of waves and storm surge that can threaten people and homes during hurricanes and flood events.

“It’s protecting over a million people who live around the lake,” Amanda Moore, senior director with the National Wildlife Federation’s Gulf program, said. The organization advocates for science-backed coastal restoration efforts in Louisiana as part of the Restore the Mississippi River Delta Coalition.  

The restoration project will dredge and place 5 million cubic yards of sediment to restore up to 1,320 acres of wetlands and provide almost 3 miles of shoreline protection at a cost of $109 million dollars. 

Moore said the “steadfast” public support for this project, part of the overall Louisiana Coastal Master Plan, played a key role in moving it forward. 

“It matters when you speak up and when you show support for these projects, and it helps decision makers understand where to direct funds,” she said. 

The Trustee Implementation Group also granted final approval for a restoration plan on Raccoon Island, one of Louisiana’s outermost barrier islands off the coast of Terrebonne Parish. 

The approved plan will dredge 2.9 million cubic yards of sand from offshore to restore up to 410 acres of barrier island habitat. It also includes construction of nine living shoreline structures, four new breakwater structures near the bayside and maintenance of existing breakwaters. In all, the Raccoon Island plan is expected to cost $156.3 million. 

The state Coastal Restoration and Protection Authority’s 2027 annual plan lists the projects’ construction timeline beginning at the end of next year.