Capital restoration work of Terrebonne Basin Barrier Islands wraps up

The Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) has announced completion of the Terrebonne Basin Barrier Island and Beach Nourishment project – the largest restoration by acreage completed by CPRA to date.

According to CPRA, this capital development program restored 1,080 acres of barrier island habitat and 8.6 miles of beach in Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes.

“The newly completed Terrebonne Basin restoration project is a testament to the importance of our barrier islands as a first line of defense for communities,” said CPRA Chairman, Chip Kline.

“Across our coast, we’re building up our barrier islands, restoring our marshes, and fortifying our hurricane protection systems to increase our defenses against strengthening and more frequent storms.”

The $166 million scheme used funds from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill to restore 261 acres on Trinity-East Island, 252 acres on Timbalier Island, and 567 acres on West Belle Headland.

Project funding was administered through the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), along with $3 million in state funds, said CPRA.

“The Terrebonne Basin project is yet another step in the restoration of our entire barrier island chain,” added CPRA Executive Director, Bren Haase. “The project serves both protection and restoration functions while playing an integral role in the coastal program’s multiple lines of defense strategy.” 

A couple of weeks ago, the Louisiana Legislature unanimously approved the Fiscal Year 2023 Annual Plan.

CPRA’s Annual Plan provides an update on the state’s efforts to protect and restore its coast and describes the short-term and long-term results that Louisiana can expect to see as the state progresses toward a sustainable coast. 

Also, the paper outlines a $1.35 billion investment toward 142 active projects across South Louisiana.

“As we face increasingly intense storms and changing environmental factors in combination with the drastic rates of land loss we are already experiencing today, implementing projects that maximize sustainability and increase resiliency could not be more important,” said Chairman Kline.

Every six years, per the directive of the state Legislature, CPRA releases Louisiana’s Comprehensive Master Plan for a Sustainable Coast, which details the priorities, projects, plans and benchmarks for implementing an integrated approach to coastal protection and restoration in Louisiana.

This plan is intended to be a living document, updated incrementally to reflect changes to the coast, economy, and society, as well as advancements in science and technology, used in the decision-making, planning and implementation processes.

“The significance of Terrebonne’s Barrier Islands in terms of storm surge protection cannot be overemphasized,” said Terrebonne Parish President, Gordy Dove.

“Without these crucial islands, mainland Terrebonne is at the mercy of hurricane and tropical event-induced storm surge and flooding. In addition, these important islands play a crucial role in protecting our coastal marshes from destruction.”

“Projects like these represent continued protection for our residents and infrastructure that make our communities places people can still live, work and play,” added Lafourche Parish President, Archie Chaisson. “As we saw last hurricane season, these barrier islands are a vital link in the chain and without them the effects of the storm would probably have been much different in Lafourche.”

The project utilized over 8.8 million cubic yards of dredged sediment from Ship Shoal through a lease agreement with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM).

“The restoration of these three critical barrier islands and headlands within the Terrebonne Basin barrier shoreline system will make a significant contribution to efforts to restore coastal habitats and protect biodiversity in Louisiana and throughout the Gulf,” said Jeff Trandahl, executive director and CEO of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

“With support from the Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund, these projects will bolster efforts to protect this fragile landscape and continue to advance our goal of protecting and restoring species and habitats impacted by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.”

One of the restored barrier islands, Trinity-East Island, is part of the Isle Derniéres Wildlife Refuge, a once-popular resort island on Louisiana’s Southeast coast.

The Last Island Hurricane of 1856 destroyed Isle Derniére, also known as Last Island, causing its eventual split into five individual islands including Wine, Trinity, East, Whiskey and Raccoon.