PHOTO: Removing silt from Mermentau River

The Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) has just released this beautiful photo from the Mermentau River silt removal program.

To speed up the drainage of floodwaters from Hurricane Laura in Cameron Parish, they are currently performing an emergency operation to cut a silted canal along the lower Mermentau River.

This work will remove salty floodwaters and create a relief outlet for the Creole Canal and western portions of the Mermentau Basin, said CPRA.

The Mermentau River Basin begins just north of Oakdale and Ville Platte, and extends south to the Gulf of Mexico.

The lower portion of the basin is bounded on the west by Highway 27, and on the east by the Freshwater Bayou Canal. The basin encompasses a total area of about 4.2 million acres and contains highly productive agricultural lands and a variety of beautiful natural environments.

The operation of five navigation locks and control structures by the New Orleans District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, helps maintain a freshwater reservoir for agricultural use while preserving the basin’s sensitive environments from the detrimental effects of saltwater intrusion from the Gulf.