Callan Marine has just released an update on the ongoing North Breton Island Restoration Project.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) last year awarded the $54 million construction contract to Callan Marine, Ltd. for dredging 5.7 million cubic yards of material in order to restore the barrier shoreline through beach, dune, and marsh fill placement.
The restoration project is located northeast of Venice, Louisiana. It will utilize an offshore sand source located just a few miles away in the Gulf of Mexico.
Breton NWR provides a breeding habitat for both colonies of nesting wading birds and seabirds, as well as a wintering habitat for shorebirds and waterfowl.
Twenty-three species of seabirds and shorebirds frequent the Refuge. Additionally, thirteen species, including brown pelicans, use these islands for nesting purposes.
If restoration does not occur, North Breton will continue to erode and eventually become a completely submerged shoal.
The island is one of the most important barrier islands in Louisiana. It provides habitat for one of the largest water bird colonies in the state, including one of the largest rookeries for brown pelicans.
It also provides crucial protections for mainland Louisiana, including the City of New Orleans, from storm surge and wave impacts.