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CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 

This Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet 

(MRGO), Louisiana, and Lake Borgne – Wetland Creation and Shoreline Protection project was 

prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 and the 

Council on Environmental Quality’s (CEQ) Regulations (40 CFR 1500-1508), as reflected in 

the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Engineering Regulation, ER 200-2-2. 

This FEIS was closely coordinated between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mississippi 

Valley Division, New Orleans District (CEMVN) and other Federal, state, and local agencies, 

interested parties, and affected individuals. Additionally, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

(USFWS) has agreed to be a cooperating agency (personal communication, USFWS, December 

20, 2006). This chapter describes the authority for the proposed action; project area; purpose 

and need; goals and objectives; NEPA requirements; and prior studies, reports, and projects. 

1.1 AUTHORITY FOR THE PROPOSED ACTION 

In December 2005, the “Department of Defense, Emergency Supplemental Appropriations to 

Address Hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico, and Pandemic Influenza Act, 2006” (Public Law 

109-148) directed the USACE to repair navigation channels and other projects damaged by the 

2005 hurricanes and to restore flood damage reduction and hurricane and storm damage 

reduction projects to the level of protection for which they were designed. The Act 

appropriated $75,000,000 for “authorized operation and maintenance activities along the 

Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet channel.” In June 2006, Congress clarified the intended purpose 

of the $75,000,000 appropriated for authorized operation and maintenance activities along the 

MRGO. Section 2304 in Title II, Chapter 3 of the “Emergency Supplemental Appropriations 

Act for Defense, the Global War on Terror, and Hurricane Recovery, 2006” (Public Law 109-

234) states that the $75,000,000 is to be used for the repair, construction or provision of 

measures or structures necessary to protect, restore or increase wetlands, to prevent saltwater 

intrusion or storm surge. 

The following projects have been constructed or will be constructed utilizing a portion of the 

funding appropriated under Public Law 109-148, as amended by Public Law 109-234: 

1. The MRGO 2006 Lake Borgne Shoreline Protection, (Doullut's Canal to Jahncke's 

Ditch), St. Bernard Parish, LA (06-C-0210) project, was awarded on 

September 26, 2006, and has spent $363,100 of the $75,000,000 appropriation. 

2. The MRGO 2007 North Bank Foreshore Dike Construction and Repairs, Mile 44.4 to 

Mile 39.9 (Non-Continuous), St. Bernard Parish, LA (07-C-0089) project was awarded 

on August 6, 2007, will spend $4,765,000 of the $75,000,000 appropriation. 

3. Pursuant to Section 7013 of the Water Resources Development Act of 2007 (WRDA of 

2007), upon the June 5, 2008, submission of the final report to the Committee on 

Environment and Public Works of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and 

Infrastructure of the House of Representatives, the MRGO from the Gulf of Mexico to 

Mile 60 at the southern bank of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway is no longer authorized. 

Section 7013 also authorizes the Secretary of the Army to carry out a plan to close the 

MRGO and to restore and protect the ecosystem substantially in accordance with the 
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final report subject to the Secretary’s determination that the plan is cost-effective, 

environmentally acceptable, and technically feasible. The plan includes the construction 

of a rock closure structure at the south ridge of Bayou La Loutre in St. Bernard Parish, 

Louisiana, approximately Mile 36 on MRGO. The rock closure structure would span 

the MRGO and connect the two sides of the ridge. The estimated total first cost of the 

closure plan, based on October 2006 price levels, is $24,680,000. Construction of this 

feature could possibly use funds from the appropriated funds under Public Law 109-148, 

as amended by Public Law 109-234. 

The Selected Plan (SP) described in this FEIS would utilize any funds remaining from the 

appropriated funds under Public Law 109-148, as amended by Public Law 109-234, following 

completion of the above-described projects. Project features of the SP would be constructed in 

the order presented in Section 2.6.5 Plan Implementation and Accomplishments. 

Implementation of remaining features may be investigated under other studies and authorities as 

necessary. 

1.2 PROJECT AREA DESCRIPTION 

The 92,217-acre (37,361 ha) project area, part of the Pontchartrain Basin, is in the vicinity of 

New Orleans in Orleans and St. Bernard parishes (Figure 1.1). The project area is comprised of 

the MRGO and Lake Borgne land bridge and the southern portion of Lake Borgne (Figure 1.2). 

The area is encompassed by the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW) along the northwest, a 

line through Lake Borgne from Bayou Thomas in the northern corner to near Bayou St. Malo 

and Jahncke’s Ditch to the east, thence to the south bank of the MRGO, which comprises the 

southwestern boundary of the project area. The area encompasses brackish marsh in the 

western portion, and saline and brackish marshes in the eastern portion (Figure 1.2). The land 

bridge area between the confluence of the MRGO channel and the GIWW and Lake Borgne in 

the northwest corner of the project area is commonly referred to as the “Golden Triangle,” and 

this term will be used throughout this report to refer to the marshes in that area (Figure 1.1). 

1.3 PURPOSE AND NEED FOR ACTION 

1.3.1 Purpose of Action 

The purpose of the proposed action is to address the problems of wetland loss, shoreline 

erosion, saltwater intrusion and storm surge threats in the MRGO and Lake Borgne area. 

Without intervention, these problems will progressively worsen, especially once the land bridge 

between Lake Borgne and the MRGO is eroded away. The CEMVN proposes to protect, 

restore, and increase wetlands in the MRGO and Lake Borgne area (Figure 1.1). 

1.3.2 Problems and Need for Action 

The project area has experienced significant wetland loss, shoreline erosion, and salt-water 

intrusion. In addition, recent analysis indicates that tropical storm intensity, storm surge, and 

flood stages will likely continue to increase throughout southeastern Louisiana (personal 

communication, Mr. Van Stutts, Hydrologist for Task Force Hope, CEMVN, 2007). 
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Figure 1.1 Project Area and Prominent Features 
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The Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation (LPBF) reconstructed habitat for the period from 

1912 to 1932 for its Comprehensive Management Plan. The analysis indicates that the wetlands 

along the southern reaches of Lake Borgne were classified as intermediate marshes and fresh 

swamps (LPBF, 2006). A comparison of 1956 and 2005 data (Wicker, 1980; Barras, 2006) 

indicated that the predominant wetland habitat types shifted from 192 acres (78 hectares [ha]) of 

fresh marsh and 30,616 acres (12,404 ha) of non-fresh marsh in 1956 to 13,328 acres (5,400 ha) 

of brackish marsh and 7,627 acres (3,090 ha) of saline marsh in 2005 (Table 1.1 and Figure 

1.2). This corresponds to a loss of about 9,850 acres (3,991 ha) of marsh between 1956 and 

2006 from the land bridge between Lake Borgne and the MRGO channel. Continued habitat 

switching, interior wetland loss and shoreline erosion of Lake Borgne and the MRGO is 

threatening to breach the lake/marsh rim, which would result in increased hydrologic 

connectivity between the two waterbodies. The protection of this critical land bridge may help 

prevent the exposure of the Hurricane Protection System (HPS) levees in Orleans Parish and St. 

Bernard Parish from the full effects of storm-driven waves and storm surge. The land bridge 

also serves to protect navigation interests, both commercial and recreational, in the GIWW. 

Environmental impacts from the continued degradation of the land bridge would include 

disruption of the natural littoral flow, loss of fringing marshes, an increase in the tidal prism, 

and an increase in hydraulic flushing (LPBF, 2006). Protection of the land bridge has been 

recommended under both the Coast 2050 Plan (LCWCRTF & WCRA, 1999) and the State of 

Louisiana’s Comprehensive Master Plan (Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, 2007). 

Based upon recent sensitivity studies conducted by the Engineer Research and Development 

Center (ERDC) in support of the South Louisiana Comprehensive Coastal Protection and 

Restoration (LACPR) evaluation of comprehensive hurricane protection analysis and designs, 

the loss of wetland areas does increase storm surge and wave potential at the hurricane 

protection system near the study area (personal communication, Ty Wamsley, ERDC, April 24, 

2007). However, because the acreage of wetlands lost, levee heights and alignments, shoreward 

depths and storm characteristics all affect the height of storm surge, it is difficult to determine at 

this stage of scientific knowledge the effect of wetland loss in the study area around Lake 

Borgne on storm surge (personal communication, Mr. Van Stutts and Ms. Janice Hote, LACPR 

Hydrology Team, December 19, 2007). Newly created and nourished emergent wetlands would 

have a net effect of lower storm surge and a lower maximum storm wave height for smaller 

storm conditions compared to the future conditions with the No-Action Alternative with 

extensive emergent wetland loss. The absolute extent of this effect is not yet quantifiable. 
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Figure 1.2 Marsh Types in Project Area (Barras, 2006)
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Table 1.1 Change in wetland habitat in the project area from 1956 to 2005 (Barras, 2006) 

Year 

Wetland Type 1956 

(acres) 

1978 

(acres) 

1988 

(acres) 

2000 

(acres) 

2005 

(acres)

Fresh / Intermediate Marsh 192 0 0 0 0

Non-Fresh Marsh 30,616 0* 0* 0* 0*

Brackish Marsh 0* 22,961 12,871 13,658 13,328

Saline Marsh 0* 0 10,689 7,013 7,627

Swamp 16 0 0 0 0

Total 30,824 22,961 23,560 20,671 20,955

* Classification not used in analysis 

1.3.3 Opportunities 

In 1998, Federal, state, and local governments, academia, non-governmental groups, and private 

citizens reached consensus on a conceptual plan for restoration of the Louisiana coast. Entitled 

Coast 2050 – Toward a Sustainable Coastal Louisiana, the Coast 2050 Plan presented a 

conceptual framework for achieving sustainability throughout coastal Louisiana. The Coast 

2050 Plan serves as the joint coastal restoration plan of the Coastal Wetlands Planning, 

Protection, and Restoration Act (CWPPRA) and the Louisiana State Wetlands Authority 

(November 1990, Public Law 101-646, Title III). The Coast 2050 Plan addressed coastal land 

loss across Louisiana. The Coast 2050 Plan recommended the following measures in the 

MRGO area: 

y Close the MRGO to deep draft navigation when adequate container facilities exist on 

the river. 

y Expedite planning of the Millennium Port. 

y Stabilize the entire north bank of the MRGO. 

y Acquire oyster leases and create marsh in the southern lobes of Lake Borgne. 

y Constrict breaches between MRGO and Lake Borgne with created marshes. 

y Construct a sill at Seabrook. 

y Maintain shoreline integrity of Lake Borgne and protect the Biloxi Marshes. 

y Construct a wetland-sustaining diversion from the Mississippi River near Violet once the 

MRGO is closed. 

The Louisiana Coastal Area (LCA) Ecosystem Restoration Study (USACE 2004) recognized 

the need for critical near-term restoration of the land bridge between the MRGO and Lake 

Borgne. The LCA Plan recommended restoration of the land bridge as one of five near-term 

critical restoration features for which immediate conditional authorization was requested. At an 

estimated cost of $108,270,000, the LCA Plan recommended 23 miles (37 km) of shoreline 

protection along the north bank of the MRGO and 15 miles (24 km) of rock breakwaters along 

the southern shoreline of Lake Borgne. 

The State of Louisiana’s Comprehensive Master Plan (CPRA 2007) integrated the wetland 

restoration goals from the Coast 2050 Plan with the needs for hurricane and flood protection. 
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The state’s Master Plan coordinated the efforts of local, state, and Federal agencies to provide 

for long-term, comprehensive coastal protection and restoration. One of the main goals of the 

state’s Master Plan is to ensure that the MRGO channel and Lake Borgne remain isolated from 

each other. It envisions using the MRGO channel as a manifold to distribute fresh water to the 

Biloxi Marshes, which separates Lake Borgne from Breton Sound. 

Consistent with the project authority, the features developed for this FEIS would protect, 

restore, or increase wetlands in the land bridge between Lake Borgne and the MRGO. The 

activities proposed in this FEIS would support some of the recommendations presented in the 

Coast 2050 Plan, including marsh creation in the southern lobes of Lake Borgne, and 

maintaining the integrity of the Lake Borgne shoreline. Shoreline protection is also 

recommended by the LCA Plan, and the preservation of the land bridge is one of the main goals 

of the state’s Master Plan. Therefore, the proposed activities are consistent with these state and 

Federal studies. 

1.4 GOALS AND OBJECTIVES 

Goals and objectives are derived directly from the Congressional authorizing language in 

Chapter 3, under division B, of title I of Public Law 109-148 (119 Stat. 2762) under the heading 

“Operations and Maintenance,” as amended by Section 2304 of Public Law 109-234 (120 Stat. 

418), and accompanying Committee Reports. Goals and objectives are: 

1. Construct, repair, or provide measures or structures necessary to protect existing 

wetlands or shorelines in the MRGO and Lake Borgne area. 

2. Construct, repair, or provide measures or structures necessary to restore or increase 

wetlands in the MRGO and Lake Borgne area. 

3. Construct, repair, or provide measures or structures necessary to reduce or prevent 

saltwater intrusion or storm surge in the MRGO and Lake Borgne area. 

4. Construct, repair, or provide measures or structures necessary to prevent the coalescence 

of MRGO and Lake Borgne. 

5. Complete construction of features in the near-term timeframe. 

6. Support other restoration plans (e.g., Coast 2050, LCA, CWPPRA, Louisiana State 

Master Plan) and complement constructed projects or projects authorized for 

construction, such as the CWPPRA PO-30 and PO-32 shoreline protection projects 

along Lake Borgne. 

7. NEPA requirements complete or would be completed within a short period of time. 

8. Proposed action accomplished within the $75 million authorized funding limit. 

1.5 NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT 

REQUIREMENTS 

In compliance with the NEPA, this FEIS analyzes and documents the potential beneficial and 

adverse environmental impacts of implementing the proposed action. In an effort to reduce 

paperwork, integrate NEPA requirements with other environmental review and consultation 

requirements, and combine environmental documents with other documents, this report utilizes 

some concepts established by the CEQ – adoption and incorporation by reference. 
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Adoption is discussed in 40 CFR Section 1506.3: 

“An agency may adopt a Federal draft or final environmental impact statement or 

portion thereof provided that the statement or portion thereof meets the standards for an 

adequate statement under these regulations.” 

This FEIS adopts, in their entirety or identified portions thereof, previous NEPA documents. 

All NEPA documents related to the project and study area are listed in Section 1.6 Prior 

Studies, Reports and Projects. The documents and/or portions being adopted include: 

y Louisiana Coastal Area (LCA) Ecosystem Restoration Study, 

y Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet Deep-Draft De-Authorization Project. 

Incorporation by reference is discussed in 40 CFR Section 1502.21: 

Agencies shall incorporate material into an environmental impact statement by 

reference when the effect will be to cut down on bulk without impeding agency and 

public review of the action. 

1.6 PRIOR STUDIES, REPORTS, AND PROJECTS 

The following studies, reports, and projects are those most relevant for the MRGO, Louisiana, 

and Lake Borgne – Wetland Creation and Shoreline Protection project. 

1.6.1 Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW) 1826 and others 

The concept of the Intracoastal Waterway system was initially authorized in 1826, and has 

evolved over the years into the current configuration. The GIWW traces the U.S. coast along 

the Gulf of Mexico from Apalachicola Bay near Carrabelle, Florida to the Mexican border at 

Brownsville, Texas. From its intersection with the Mississippi River, the waterway extends 

eastward for approximately 376 miles (605 km) and westward for approximately 690 miles 

(1,110 km). The GIWW and MRGO intersect and run contiguously from the Michoud area to 

the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal (IHNC). The MRGO is an alternative route to the GIWW 

(for a full description of the history of the GIWW, see U.S. Army Engineers Water Resources 

Support Center, Institute for Water Resources, 1983). 

1.6.2 Mississippi River and Tributaries (MR&T), 1928 

This is a comprehensive project for flood control on the lower Mississippi River below Cape 

Girardeau, Missouri. The project was authorized as a result of the 1927 flood of the lower 

Mississippi River. The MR&T has four major elements: levees, floodways, channel 

improvement and stabilization, and tributary basin improvements. The MR&T system controls 

and confines the river system before it reaches the coastal area. Several major outlets to the 

main stem of the river exist for the purposes of flood control during flood stages. The IHNC 

lock connects the Mississippi River to the IHNC. 

1.6.3 Bayous La Loutre, St. Malo and Yscloskey, 1945 

The River and Harbor Act of 26 August 1937, modified 2 March 1945, provides for a channel 

five feet (ft) wide by 40 ft deep (1.5 m x 12.2 m) from deep water in Lake Borgne to the shore 
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line at the mouth of Bayou Yscloskey; a channel six ft wide by 40 ft deep (1.8 m x 12.2 m) from 

deep water in Lake Borgne through Bayous St. Malo, La Loutre and Eloi to deep water in Lake 

Eloi; a channel five ft wide by 30 ft deep (1.5 m x 9.1 m) in Bayou La Loutre between Hopedale 

and Bayou St. Malo. The length of improvements is 30 miles (48 km). The MRGO crosses 

Bayou La Loutre near Hopedale, Louisiana. 

1.6.4 Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet, September 1951 

House Document No. 245, 82nd Congress, 1st Session, dated 25 September 1951, led to the 

authorization of the MRGO project by an Act of Congress on March 29, 1956 (Public Law 84- 

455). The project authorization also provided for a new lock and connecting channel between 

the Mississippi River and the new ship channel when economically justified by obsolescence of 

the existing lock. 

1.6.5 Inner Harbor Navigation Canal Lock Study, 1956 

The IHNC and the IHNC lock were built by the Board of Commissioners for the Port of New 

Orleans during the late 1910s and early 1920s and placed into service in May 1923. The 

dimensions of the canal were 200 ft wide x 20 ft deep (61.0 m x 6.1 m). Subsequent to the 

construction of the MRGO, sections of the IHNC were deepened to handle deep-draft ships and 

the Port of New Orleans constructed a container terminal on the IHNC. Because of the size of 

the existing IHNC lock, deep-draft shipping can use only the MRGO to access these facilities. 

The IHNC lock has dimensions of 31.5 ft deep x 75 ft wide x 640 ft long (9.6 m x 22.9 m x 

195.1 m). During World War II, the Federal government leased the IHNC lock and assumed its 

maintenance and operation. The Federal government acquired the existing lock in 1986. 

Public Law 84-455 and the Water Resources Development Acts of 1986 and 1996 authorize the 

Industrial Canal Lock Replacement Project. The replacement lock will be 110 ft wide x 36 ft 

deep x 1,200 ft long (33.5 m x 11.0 m x 365.7 m). The construction period is estimated at 

12 years. The cost (in October 2004 price levels) is $764 million. The new lock has not been 

adequately funded since 1998. The project is presently on hold while a supplemental EIS is 

prepared. 

1.6.6 Lake Pontchartrain and Vicinity, Louisiana, 

Hurricane Protection Project, 1965 

This project was authorized by Section 204 of the Flood Control Act of 1965 (Public Law 89-

298 as amended) and currently provides for enlargement of hurricane protection levees along 

Lake Pontchartrain in Orleans, Jefferson, and St. Charles Parishes and in portions of Orleans 

and St. Bernard Parishes between the Mississippi River and the MRGO. The Chalmette Loop 

segment of this project runs parallel to the MRGO. 

1.6.7 Mississippi River Outlets, Venice, Louisiana, 1968 

Mississippi River - Additional Navigation Outlets in the Vicinity of Venice, Louisiana, was 

authorized by the River and Harbor and Flood Control Act of 1968 (Public Law 90-483) to 

enlarge the existing channels of Baptiste Collette Bayou and Grand-Tigre Passes to provide a 

14-foot (4.3 m) depth over a bottom width of 150 ft (45.7 m), with entrance channels in open 
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water 16 ft (4.9 m) deep over a bottom width of 250 ft (76.2 m). Jetties were authorized to the 

six-foot (1.8 m) depth contour. Channel construction was completed in 1978 and jetty 

construction completed in 1979. Bayou Baptiste Collette, in conjunction with the Mississippi 

River and MRGO, is an alternate route for shallow-draft traffic when the IHNC lock is closed. 

1.6.8 MRGO St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, Reconnaissance Report, 

February 1988 

The USACE conducted a reconnaissance study of bank erosion and erosion-related problems. 

Economically justified and environmentally acceptable plans were identified and recommended 

for further detailed studies. No further action occurred. 

1.6.9 Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection, and Restoration Act 

(CWPPRA), 1990 

The Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection, and Restoration Act (Public Law 101-646) program 

provides funding for projects that restore the coastal ecosystem. One such project, the MRGO 

Disposal Area Marsh Protection, was approved in 1993 to repair damage to the back dike of the 

disposal area to preserve approximately 755 acres (306 ha) of wetland. The project was 

completed in 1999 and at a cost of $342,611. Another project, the Lake Borgne and MRGO 

Shoreline Protection project was approved in 2003 to construct an 18,500-linear-foot (5,639 m) 

rock dike along the Lake Borgne shoreline, and a 14,250-linear-foot (4,343 m) rock dike along 

the north bank of the MRGO between Doulluts Canal and Lena Lagoon to preserve 

approximately 266 acres (108 ha) of wetland. Funding of $1.4 million was approved, and the 

total estimated cost of the project is $25,100,000. Construction for that project has not been 

approved to date. Additional coastal restoration projects involving shoreline protection and 

hydrologic restoration have been approved and constructed in the area. 

1.6.10 MRGO North Bank Foreshore Protection Evaluation, 1996 

This study concluded that providing hardened bank protection along portions of the north 

bank of the MRGO reduces shoaling rates, thereby decreasing the overall maintenance costs of 

the channel. The recommended plan was to construct, under authority of the O&M program, 

hardened bank protection in those reaches identified as being critical because of their high 

shoaling rates and the imminent loss of the buffering marsh between the MRGO and 

Lake Borgne. 

1.6.11 Coast 2050: Toward a Sustainable Coastal Louisiana, 1998 

The Louisiana Coastal Wetlands Conservation Task Force and the Wetlands Conservation & 

Restoration Authority prepared this plan for the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources. It 

addressed the problem of depletion of coastal land across Louisiana, including the particular 

problems of increases in salinity and erosion attributed to the MRGO, and recommended 

ecosystem management strategies designed to restore wetlands and prevent continued 

deterioration. Ecosystem management strategies recommended in the plan are: 

y Closure of the MRGO when alternative container port facilities on the Mississippi River 

are prepared. 
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y Stabilization of the entire north bank of the MRGO using dredged material behind rock 

dikes along a 37-mile (60 km) reach. 

y Constriction of breaches in the marshes between the MRGO and Lake Borgne, to reduce 

salinity in Lake Borgne and the Biloxi Marshes. 

y Construction of a sill at Seabrook, to improve salinity in Lake Pontchartrain. 

y Further study of the 2,000-5,000 cfs (56.6-141.6 cubic meters per second) freshwater 

diversion project at the Violet Canal. 

y Use of dredged material from the MRGO to create marshes in South Lake Borgne, the 

Biloxi Marshes, and Eloi Bay. 

1.6.12 MRGO Reevaluation Study, 2002 

In June 1999, pursuant to authority of Section 216 of Public Law 91-611, the CEMVN 

requested and received reprogrammed funds to initiate a reevaluation study of the MRGO based 

on three factors: 

1. The possibility that the Port of New Orleans might move some of its facilities from the 

IHNC area to the Mississippi River (Millennium Port Plan). 

2. The environmental community and local interests characterized the MRGO as an 

environmental disaster. 

3. Efforts to ameliorate some of the environmental effects of the MRGO using O&M funds 

were inadequate. In June 2000, the House Committee on Appropriations (House Report 

106-693, Public Law 106-377) provided funds for investigating the future of the MRGO. 

The study was not completed due to additional Congressional guidance and authority provided 

after Hurricane Katrina. 

1.6.13 Environmental Assessment for the Lake Borgne Shoreline Protection 

Project, 2006 

This U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) document for CWWPRA project number 

PO-30 provided an overview of the impacts and/or benefits resulting from the installation of 

shoreline protection features in Lake Borgne. The goal of this project was to help preserve the 

existing wetland land bridge between Lake Borgne and the MRGO by constructing shoreline 

protection features along a total of 5.3 miles (8.5 km) of the Lake Borgne shoreline near Bayou 

Dupre and near Shell Beach. This project was authorized for construction on February 8, 2006, 

and construction activities began in September 2007. Construction was completed in December 

2008. 

1.6.14 Ecological Review, Lake Borgne and MRGO Shoreline Protection, 2005 

This ecological review for CWPPRA project PO-32 sponsored by the CEMVN and the 

Louisiana Department of Natural Resources (LDNR) evaluated project biotic benefits, goals and 

strategies prior to construction authorization. This evaluation utilized monitoring and 

engineering information, as well as applicable scientific literature to assess whether or not, and 

to what degree, the proposed project features would cause the desired ecological response. The 

goal of this project was to preserve the existing marsh land bridge between Lake Borgne and 

the MRGO. 
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1.6.15 Continuing Authorities Program 

Section 204 of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) 1992, Section 206 of WRDA 

1996, and Section 1135 of WRDA 1986 are “continuing authorities” that authorize the 

Secretary of the Army to plan, design, and implement certain ecosystem restoration measures, 

subject to specified cost sharing, without additional project specific Congressional 

authorization. Section 204 authorizes the beneficial use of dredged material to restore, protect, 

and create aquatic and ecologically related habitats, including wetlands, in connection with 

construction or maintenance dredging of an authorized navigation project. Additionally, 

Section 206 authorizes certain aquatic ecosystem restoration projects that will improve the 

quality of the environment and that are in the public interest. Finally, Section 1135 authorizes 

modification of structures or operations at existing USACE projects for the purpose of 

improving the quality of the environment in the public interest. Projects performed under these 

continuing authorities include the placement of dredged material from the MRGO (Miles 14 to 

12) adjacent to the south jetty for wetland creation and the placement of dredged material from 

Miles 2 to 4 on Breton Island for barrier island restoration. 

1.6.16 Louisiana Coastal Area Ecosystem Restoration Study (LCA Plan), 2005 

The LCA Study focused on “lessons learned” from previous Louisiana coastal restoration 

efforts, the Coast 2050 restoration strategies, and the best available science and technology to 

develop a Plan that addresses the most critical ecological needs of the coastal area. The LCA 

Plan includes five near-term critical restoration features, recommended for specific 

authorization for implementation subject to approval of feasibility-level decision documents by 

the Secretary (conditional authorization). The LCA Plan recommended construction of rock 

breakwaters along 23 miles (37 km) of the north bank of the MRGO, and 15 miles (24 km) of 

the southern shore of Lake Borgne. This construction would address the anticipated loss of 

6,350 acres (2,573 ha) of marsh over a 50-year period. Costs of constructing the MRGO 

Environmental Restoration Feature were estimated at $121,736,000 (2004 dollars). The Chief 

of Engineers and the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works approved and transmitted 

the LCA Plan to the Administration and Congress. The plan was authorized by the WRDA of 

2007. 

1.6.17 Second Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act to Meet the 

Immediate Needs Arising from the Consequences of Hurricane Katrina, 

2005 (Public Law 109-062) 

Adopted by Congress on September 2, 2005, following Hurricane Katrina, this law provided 

emergency supplemental funding to repair damage to flood control and hurricane shore 

protection projects. A portion of this funding was allocated to rebuilding the hurricane 

protection levee located on a portion of the MRGO dredged material disposal area between 

Bayou Bienvenue and Verret, Louisiana. 

1.6.18 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Acts, 2006 

The “Department of Defense, Emergency Supplemental Appropriations to Address Hurricanes 

in the Gulf of Mexico, and Pandemic Influenza Act, 2006” (Public Law 109-148), provided 

$75,000,000 for authorized operation and maintenance activities along the MRGO. The 
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“Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense, the Global War on Terror, and 

Hurricane Recovery, 2006” (Public Law 109-234), clarified that the funds were to be used for 

“the repair, construction or provision of measures or structures necessary to protect, restore or 

increase wetlands, to prevent saltwater intrusion or storm surge.” The funds may be used for 

shoreline protection on Lake Borgne and along the MRGO at the narrowest part of the land 

bridge. Other work may include marsh creation on the land bridge separating Lake Borgne and 

the MRGO. This EIS describes the work proposed for this Act. This operation and 

maintenance activity is called Mississippi River - Gulf Outlet, Louisiana, and Lake Borgne 

Wetland Creation and Shoreline Protection. 

In addition to providing funding to develop a comprehensive plan to de-authorize deep draft 

navigation on the MRGO, Public Law 109-234 provided nearly $4 billion for levee 

improvements and flood control projects in the New Orleans area. This appropriation included 

$1.584 billion to reinforce or replace floodwalls, $495.3 million for levee projects, $350 million 

for construction of navigable closures on the IHNC and the GIWW, $170 million to armor 

critical areas of the levees, and $20.2 million for coastal restoration to minimize future 

storm damage. 

1.6.19 Coastal Impact Assistance Program, 2006 

The Coastal Impact Assistance Program (CIAP) was authorized by Section 384 of the Energy 

Policy Act of 2005. This federally funded program assists oil and gas producing coastal states 

and their political subdivisions in mitigating the impacts from Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) 

oil and gas production. There are two Tier One (immediate implementation) CIAP projects in 

the project area: Central Wetlands Assimilation (treated sewerage pumped into wetlands), and 

the Orleans Land Bridge Shoreline Protection and Marsh Creation projects. The Lake Borgne 

Shoreline Protection is a Tier Two project (implementation after Tier One projects). 

1.6.20 Louisiana Coastal Protection & Restoration (LACPR), 2006 

This study by the USACE for the U.S. Congress includes the analysis and design of hurricane 

risk reduction, coastal restoration, and flood control measures. A Preliminary Technical Report 

was submitted to Congress in July 2006. The final study will evaluate different alignments of 

structural measures, such as floodgates, floodwalls, and levees, to compare relative reduction of 

risk of flooding and storm surge, including the possibility of structural measures affecting the 

MRGO. The final study will also evaluate nonstructural measures, such as elevating homes. In 

addition, it will propose various wetland restoration projects and highlight the role of wetlands 

in coastal risk reduction. The final technical report will not make any recommendations. A 

comprehensive plan may be recommended following completion of the Programmatic 

Environmental Impact Statement that is currently being prepared. 

1.6.21 Investigation of the Performance of the New Orleans Flood Protection 

Systems in Hurricane Katrina on August 29, 2005, Final Report, July 2006 

This project was funded, in part, by the National Science Foundation under Grants No. CMS0413327 and CMS-0611632. The report contains the observations and findings of an 

investigation by an independent team of professional engineers and researchers. The 

investigation targeted three main questions: what happened, why, and what types of changes 
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are necessary to prevent recurrence of a disaster of this scale in the future? This report 

discusses in detail the methods used in addressing these questions. It also discusses what were 

found to be the root causes of the resulting catastrophe. 

1.6.22 Performance Evaluation of the New Orleans and Southeast Louisiana 

Hurricane Protection System, Draft Final Report of the Interagency 

Performance Evaluation Task (IPET) Force, USACE, 2006 

This report is an in-depth analysis of the New Orleans and Southeast Louisiana Hurricane 

Protection system conducted by the IPET. The IPET was established by the Chief of Engineers, 

CEMVN. This report provides a comprehensive description of the IPET activities and the 

findings and lessons learned from those activities. The key objective of the IPET is to 

understand the behavior of the New Orleans Hurricane Protection System in response to 

Hurricane Katrina and assist in the application of that knowledge to the reconstitution of a more 

resilient and capable system. The IPET analyses is geared toward determining why certain 

sections and structures breached and why others did not, using that understanding to assess the 

integrity of the remaining portions of the system and providing an analytical and knowledge 

base to assist in designing more resilient protection measures. 

1.6.23 Violet Freshwater Distribution (Deauthorized as of September 11, 2006) 

The project would have complemented the existing siphons diverting Mississippi River water 

into 17,980 acres (7,284 ha) of brackish and saline marsh in St. Bernard Parish known as the 

Central Wetlands Management Unit. The Violet Siphons were constructed with the objective of 

restoring the project area to a fresher state through mimicking the former behavior of the 

Mississippi River by siphoning fresh water into the marsh. The siphons were operational for 

only four years due primarily to public opposition to large amounts of sediment deposited in 

Violet Canal, interfering with navigation. The objective of the outfall management plan was to 

optimize the use of fresh water and sediment supplied by the existing siphons by managing 

water flow through the area. This would have been accomplished by reducing channelized flow 

and routing the diverted flow across marshes or through shallow water areas instead of through 

larger channels so that suspended sediments would be deposited and marshes would be 

nourished and created. This project has been reauthorized under the Water Resources 

Development Act of 2007 (See Section 1.6.25). 

1.6.24 Integrated Ecosystem Restoration and Hurricane Protection: Louisiana’s 

Comprehensive Master Plan for a Sustainable Coast, 2007 

The State of Louisiana’s Master Plan calls for “construction of a closure structure at Bayou La 

Loutre that will restore the integrity of the Bayou La Loutre ridge. This will affect both the 

shallow-draft and deep-draft navigation industries, and it may have unintended consequences 

for adjacent landowners.” 

1.6.25 Water Resources Development Act of 2007 

The Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2007 (Public Law 110-114) provides for 

the deauthorization of the MRGO channel to navigation. This Act alters the Act entitled “An 

Act to authorize construction of the Mississippi River-Gulf outlet”, approved March 29, 1956 
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(70 Stat. 65) and modified by Section 844 of the Water Resources Development Act of 1986 

(100 Stat. 4177) and Section 326 of the Water Resources Development Act of 1996 (110 Stat. 

3717). Effective on the date of submission of the plan to deauthorize the channel (see the 

description of the Integrated Final Report and Legislative EIS in Section 1.6.26, below), that 

portion of the MRGO navigation channel that extends from the Gulf of Mexico to Mile 60 at the 

southern bank of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, will not be authorized. Additionally, the 

WRDA of 2007 also authorized the implementation of the LCA program (See Section 1.6.16) 

as well as a fresh water diversion at or near Violet, Louisiana, for the purposes of reducing 

salinity in the western Mississippi Sound, enhancing oyster production, and promoting the 

sustainability of coastal wetlands. 

1.6.26 Individual Environmental Report (IER), #11 Improved Protection on the 

Inner Harbor Navigation Canal, Orleans and St. Bernard Parishes, 

Louisiana, 2007 

The authority for IER #11 was provided as part of a number of hurricane protection projects 

spanning southeastern Louisiana, including the Lake Pontchartrain and Vicinity Hurricane 

Protection Project and the West Bank and Vicinity Hurricane Protection Project (USACE, 

2008). The final configuration would include the construction of a sector gate across the 

GIWW adjacent to the bypass gate, modifications to the MRGO crossing, installation of a sector 

gate at Bayou Bienvenue, and other additional features to increase the protection and structural 

resilience of the components constructed during Advanced Measures to the 100-year level of 

protection. Where the hurricane protection project crosses the MRGO just south of its 

intersection with Bayou Bienvenue, a concrete floodwall would be constructed to an elevation 

of 26 ft (7.9 m) above the average water level. 

1.6.27 Mississippi River Gulf Outlet Environmental Restoration, ongoing efforts 

CEMVN is conducting several efforts related to the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet, including 

constructing a total closure structure across the channel, constructing levees and floodwalls in 

the vicinity, and studying and building coastal restoration projects. The following narrative 

briefly details these activities: 

1.6.27.1 Integrated Final Report to Congress and Legislative Environmental Impact 

Statement for the MRGO Deep-Draft Deauthorization Study, 2008 

The Integrated Final Report to Congress and Legislative Environmental Impact Statement for 

the MRGO Deep-Draft Deauthorization Study provide comprehensive documentation of the 

direct, indirect, and cumulative environmental effects attributable to alternative plans for the deauthorization of navigation on the MRGO between the GIWW and the Gulf of Mexico. The 

Recommended Plan for this study is to construct a total closure structure across the MRGO near 

Bayou La Loutre in one construction effort. The final report was delivered to Congress on 

June 5, 2008. Construction of the closure structure is underway, and is anticipated to be 

completed before the beginning of the 2009 hurricane season. 
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1.6.27.2 Mississippi River Gulf Outlet Operations and Maintenance 

The CEMVN is conducting activities related to MRGO ecosystem restoration using 

supplemental appropriation Operations & Maintenance funds. This work includes some 

recently completed construction to build shore protection along Lake Borgne and along 

segments of the north bank of the MRGO channel. In addition, the CEMVN is completing an 

EIS (this document) for additional shoreline protection in Lake Borgne and new marsh creation 

near Bayou Bienvenue in the Golden Triangle and near Shell Beach. This work is authorized 

under the “Department of Defense, Emergency Supplemental Appropriations to Address 

Hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico, and Pandemic Influenza Act, 2006” (Public Law 109-148), 

and the “Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense, the Global War on Terror, 

and Hurricane Recovery, 2006” (Public Law 109-234). 

1.6.27.3 Mississippi River Gulf Outlet Ecosystem Restoration Plan Feasibility Study 

The MRGO Ecosystem Restoration Plan Feasibility Study is being conducted by the CEMVN 

as a supplement to the MRGO Deep-Draft Deauthorization Study (See Section 1.6.27.1) that 

was submitted June 5, 2008. The study is developing a plan to restore all of the areas affected 

by the MRGO. The study is authorized by Section 7013 of the Water Resources Development 

Act of 2007 and is funded using $5 million from MRGO supplemental Operations and 

Maintenance appropriations. 

1.6.27.4 Storm Surge Risk Reduction Projects 

The CEMVN is constructing storm surge risk reduction projects in the vicinity of the MRGO, 

including the construction of the IHNC surge barrier (See Section 1.6.26) and upgrades to 

existing levees and floodwalls along the Chalmette Loop and in New Orleans East, to achieve 

100-year storm risk reduction levels. This work is authorized by various authorities, including 

Section 7012 of the Water Resources Development Act of 2007. 

1.6.28 Environmental Assessments and Environmental Impact Statements 

The CEMVN has prepared many Environmental Assessments (EA) and Environmental Impact 

Statements (EIS) to evaluate potential impacts of project-specific proposed actions in and 

around the MRGO. These EAs and EISs were prepared in accordance with the NEPA of 1969 

and the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) Regulations (40 CFR 1500-1508), as 

reflected in the USACE Engineering Regulation, ER 200-2-2. 

y Lake Pontchartrain, LA and Vicinity Hurricane Protection Project Riprap shore 

protection with openings at Bayous Bienvenue and Dupre, EIS, 1973 and 1974. 

y Lake Borgne Vicinity MRGO Bayous La Loutre, St. Malo, and Dupre Final EIS, March 

1976. 

y EA #15, entitled “Transfer of Land Along Mississippi River – Gulf Outlet Jourdan Road 

Terminal to Inner Harbor Navigation Channel”, with a Finding of No Significant Impact 

(FONSI) signed on December 15, 1980. 

y EA #38, entitled “MRGO, Foreshore Protection Test Section”, with a FONSI signed on 

August 15, 1983. 
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y EA #47, entitled “MRGO Foreshore Protection”, with a FONSI signed on January 23, 

1985. 

y EA #54, entitled “South Bank Mississippi River – Gulf Outlet – Borrow Site”, with a 

FONSI signed on April 1, 1986. 

y EA #72, entitled “MRGO Breton Sound Jetty Repairs”, with a FONSI signed on May 

26, 1988. 

y Mississippi River – Gulf Outlet Ocean Dredged Material Final EIS, May 1989. 

y EA #143, entitled “Mississippi River – Gulf Outlet – New Canal, Remedial Dredging”, 

with a FONSI signed on September 11, 1991. 

y EA #152, entitled “MRGO St. Bernard Parish, LA, Bank Stabilization, Miles 50.5 to 

55.0”, with a FONSI signed on November 21, 1991. 

y EA #154, entitled “Mississippi River – Gulf Outlet – Major Rehabilitation of the South 

Jetty in Breton Sound”, with a FONSI signed on December 23, 1991 NOTE: no EA 

available, this is date of Memorandum to discontinue work. 

y EA #162, entitled “Mississippi River – Gulf Outlet, St. Bernard and Plaquemines 

Parishes, LA – Marsh Enhancement/Creation and Berm Construction”, with a 

subsequent FONSI signed on July 10, 1992. 

y EA #244, entitled “MRGO Back Dike (CWPPRA), Disposal Area Marsh Protection, 

Back Dike”, with a FONSI signed on July 30,1996 (NOTE: disregard erroneous date on 

heading of August 6, 1996, Commander signed on July 30, 1996). 

y EA #247, entitled “MRGO St. Bernard Parish, LA, Bank Stabilization Miles 55.0 to 

56.1”, with a FONSI signed on September 24, 1996. 

y EA #255, entitled “MRGO, LA, Wetland Creation, Miles 15.0 to 23.0, St. Bernard and 

Plaquemines Parish, LA”, with a FONSI signed on February 12, 1997. 

y EA #269, entitled “MRGO, LA, South of Lake Borgne Additional Disposal Areas, St. 

Bernard Parish, LA”, with a FONSI signed on March 24, 1998. 

y EA #269-B, entitled “MRGO, South of Lake Borgne Additional Disposal Areas plus 

Deflection Dike and Floatation Channels, St. Bernard Parish, LA”, with a FONSI signed 

on June, 2000. 

y EA #269-C, entitled “MRGO, LA, Construction of Flotation Channels Miles 51.0 to 

48.0, St. Bernard Parish, LA”, with a FONSI signed on October 2, 2001. 

y EA #274, entitled “MRGO, Additional Disposal Areas, Hopedale Marshes”, with a 

FONSI signed on July 10, 1998. 

y EA #277, entitled “MRGO, LA, Shell Beach Disposal Areas, St. Bernard Parish, LA”, 

with a FONSI signed on September 6, 2001. 

y EA #277-A, entitled “MRGO, LA, Construction of Flotation Channels Miles 49.0 to 

38.0, St. Bernard Parish, LA”, with a FONSI signed on October 2, 2001. 

y EA #288, entitled “MRGO Mile 43 to Mile 41 North Bank Stabilization, St. Bernard 

Parish, LA”, with a FONSI signed on November 8, 1999. 

y EA #349, entitled “MRGO, Miles 32-27, Additional Disposal Areas - Hopedale 

Marshes, St. Bernard Parish, LA”, with a FONSI signed on August 15, 2002. 

y EA #354, entitled “MRGO, Additional Disposal Area Designation Miles 66.0 to 49.0, 

St. Bernard Parish, LA”, with a FONSI signed February 9, 2004. 
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y EA #355, entitled “MRGO Mile 27.0 to 0”, with a FONSI signed on June 30, 2003. 

y EA #361, entitled “MRGO, LA, Test Installation of Articulated Concrete Mattressing, 

Miles 39.0 to38.0”, with a FONSI signed on January 29, 2003. 

y EA #402, entitled “Lake Borgne – MRGO, Shoreline Protection Project, St. Bernard 

Parish, LA”, with a FONSI signed on December 16, 2004. 

y EA #403, entitled “MRGO, Hopper Dredging Miles 27.0 To 66.0”, with a FONSI signed 

on March 22, 2004. 

y EA #411, entitled “MRGO, Installation of Articulated Concrete Mattressing, Miles 37.4 

to 36.5, St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana”, with a FONSI signed on October 19, 2004.