DALLAS — The Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority will use a $362,213 grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in support of the Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act (CWPPRA) program, according to a press release.
The group will design a project to create and nourish 634 acres of marshland southeast of New Orleans, noted the release. The site is located in the Shell Beach area off of Lake Borgne.
The grant allows the project to use fill material from the lake to help stabilize the landform separating the lake from the Mississippi River, stated the release. It will create 346 acres of new marsh and support 288 acres of existing marsh.
Wetlands benefit communities by helping prevent flooding and filtering pollution from stormwater runoff, reported the release. Louisiana continues to lose coastal land area because of erosion, and restoration projects like these help provide food, protection and habitat for many fish and wildlife species.
You can read the entire release here.
