Coastal restoration in action PHOTO

Adam Copus, CPRA Digital Content Manager, has taken drone pictures of the dredge Robert M. White working just off the I-10 near the Bonnet Carre Spillway.

The 270-feet long dredge, capable of pumping 60,000 cubic-yards of fill material a day, is being used to rebuild the LaBranche Marsh.

The LaBranche Marsh Creation Project is a combination of two adjacent restoration projects that will use some 6 million cubic yards of sediment, dredged from Lake Pontchartrain to fill nearly 1,500 acres of open water and restore a significant portion of the wetlands.

This partnership between Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) will create habitat for fish and migratory birds, adding protection to I-10 from storm surge.

Pumping of dredged fill material from Lake Pontchartrain commenced in early 2024 and is expected to be completed by mid-year 2025.