Final funding secured for Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion

The Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) has overcome the final hurdle in the funding and approval processes for the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion project.

Yesterday, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s (NFWF) Board of Directors approved CPRA’s request to dedicate $660 million toward construction of the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion. This funding represents the final increment needed to fully fund the project’s construct phase, which includes mitigation measures.

“This approval culminates years of hard work and collaboration in which NFWF has been an instrumental partner to CPRA and are eager to get shovels in the ground and start construction. We’re grateful for NFWF’s leadership, diligence, and for sharing our vision of creating a more sustainable and resilient coastal Louisiana,” said CPRA Chairman Chip Kline.

In February 2023, the Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group (LA TIG), the group of state and federal agencies responsible for overseeing and approving spending of Louisiana’s Natural Resource Damages (NRD) oil spill settlement dollars, approved more than $2 billion for the project’s implementation. The funding from NFWF will supplement the LA TIG’s allocation to fully fund the project’s construction, as well as the associated mitigation measures.

“The Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion will become a monumental project, made possible by unprecedented collaboration across state, federal, and nongovernmental organizations,” said CPRA Executive Director Bren Haase. “CPRA is ecstatic to be the stewards of the largest single conservation investment in NFWF’s history. We commend NFWF for recognizing the critical importance of this project and dedicating this funding toward a brighter future for coastal Louisiana.”

CPRA is currently in negotiations with the project’s Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) contractor to finalize cost and begin construction, while simultaneously finalizing engineering and design activities and completing the administrative steps necessary to access funding. It is anticipated that construction activities will begin later this year and take at least five years to complete.

For more information about the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion, visit midbasin.coastal.la.gov.