$14.8M for large-scale marsh creation project in St. Bernard Parish

St. Bernard Parish Government has announced the receipt of a first-of-its-kind grant through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) program totaling $14.8 million for construction of Phase III of the Lake Lery Marsh Creation and Rim Restoration Project near Delacroix.

The estimated project cost is approximately $21 million, which will be funded by the FEMA FMA grant administered by the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP), dedicated Parish funds, and dollars from the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) Parish Matching Program.

“I commend FEMA, St. Bernard Parish, GOHSEP, and CPRA for their collaboration in creatively securing funding for this critical restoration project at Lake Lery. Transformative projects like this one are essential for protecting our coastal communities, providing community resilience, and reducing flood risk,” said Gov. Jeff Landry.

This award marks the first time FEMA FMA funds have been awarded to a marsh creation and rim restoration project anywhere in the nation.

The project uses a nature-based solutions approach to nourish over 400 acres of marsh and establish over two miles of armored shoreline embankment along the northern banks of Lake Lery.