Construction starts on Biloxi Marsh Living Shoreline project

The Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) yesterday announced the start of construction activities on the Biloxi Marsh Living Shoreline project in St. Bernard Parish.

The project will create living oyster reefs and shoreline protection southeast of the Biloxi Wildlife Management Area.

“The importance of this project is two-fold,” said CPRA Chairman Chip Kline. “The protective breakwater we’re constructing will reduce shoreline retreat and stabilize hundreds of acres of marshland. By sustaining the marshland, we strengthen the critical buffer between hurricane storm surge and the city of New Orleans.”

Hardened material is being used to create breakwaters that will provide protection against wave erosion and supply hard substrate for oyster settlement. Upon completion, the project will provide approximately 11 miles of shoreline protection for the degrading marsh.

“The area surrounding this project has lost nearly 16,000 acres of coastal land since the 1930s,” said CPRA Executive Director Bren Haase. “With this project, we’re constructing shoreline protection along Eloi Bay near the mouth of Bayou la Loutre to reverse this process and provide better protection to the region.”

Construction of the $67 million project is funded by the Natural Resources Damage Assessment (NRDA) through the Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group (LA TIG).