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CHAPTER 3 AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT 

3.1 GENERAL 

This chapter describes the climate, geomorphic and physiographic setting, and the historic and 

existing conditions for the following important resources: soils; coastal vegetation; wildlife; 

fisheries; plankton; benthos; essential fish habitat (EFH); threatened and endangered species; 

hydrology (including flow and water levels, and sediment); water quality; recreation; public 

lands; cultural and historic resources; aesthetics; air quality; socioeconomic and human 

resources (including population; infrastructure; employment and income; navigation; oil, gas, 

and utilities; pipelines; commercial fisheries; oyster leases; and flood control and hurricane 

protection). In addition, the characterization of noise and hazardous, toxic, and radioactive 

waste (HTRW) in the project area are presented. 

A resource is considered important if it is recognized by statutory authorities including laws, 

regulations, Executive Orders (EO), policies, rules, or guidance; if it is recognized as important 

by some segment of the general public; or if it is determined to be important based on technical 

or scientific criteria. The following sections discuss historic and existing conditions of each 

important resource occurring within the project area. 

3.2 CLIMATE 

Climate is one of the major factors necessitating implementation of the proposed action. The 

climate of the project area, subtropical marine with long humid summers and short moderate 

winters, is governed by various terrestrial and atmospheric controls. Situated along the northern 

Gulf of Mexico between 29° and 33° north latitude, Louisiana’s climate and temperature 

patterns are strongly influenced by seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation. 

Louisiana is susceptible to tropical waves, tropical depressions, tropical storms, and hurricanes 

due to its proximity to the Gulf of Mexico. Historical data from 1899 to 2007 indicate that 

30 hurricanes and 41 tropical storms have made landfall along the Louisiana coastline (National 

Weather Service, http://www.srh.noaa.gov/lch/research/tropical5.php and National Hurricane 

Center, http://www.nhc.noaa.gov). 

The total amount of marsh lost as a result of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita was over one third of 

the total predicted wetland losses predicted by the Coast 2050 Report (LCWCRTF and WCRA, 

1999). Within the 92,217-acre (37,361 ha) Lake Borgne and MRGO project area, about 

663 acres (269 ha) of wetlands were converted to open water (Barras, 2006). This loss rate 

exceeded the average background loss rate of about 144 acres per year (58 ha/yr) for the period 

from 1988 to 2004 (Wicker, 1980; Barras et al., 1994; Barras et al., 2003; Morton et al., 2005). 

In the northern and eastern shorelines of Lake Borgne, new water bodies formed and existing 

water bodies expanded (USGS, 2006). These changes occurred largely as a result of Hurricanes 

Katrina and Rita. The combined land-water changes caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita 

exceeded coastal land change from previous recent hurricanes combined, such as Hurricanes 

Andrew (1992), Lili (2002), and Tropical Storm Isidore (2002) (Barras, 2006). 
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While no tropical storms or hurricanes made landfall in Louisiana in 2007, Hurricane Gustav 

made landfall near Cocodrie, Louisiana, on September 1, 2008. Initial observations from the 

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) of imagery from the PALSAR satellite indicated no major 

damage from the passage of Hurricane Gustav on the project area (Michelle Fischer, USGS, 

personal communication, 2008). However, these images were taken when water levels were 

still high, and some erosion below the detectable spatial resolution of the imagery may have 

taken place. As water levels recede, this can be more accurately assessed. The USGS also 

collected oblique photography from areas impacted by Hurricane Gustav from a fixed-wing 

aircraft (Scott Wilson, USGS, personal communication, 2008). While the USGS did not 

specifically fly the MRGO channel, there have been no reports of large-scale impacts in Breton 

Sound or Lake Borgne areas from this storm. Furthermore, based on the storm characteristics 

(storm path, surge, and intensity) the USGS did not anticipate any large-scale impacts in the 

MRGO area (Scott Wilson, USGS, personal communication, 2008). 

3.3 GEOMORPHIC AND PHYSIOGRAPHIC SETTING 

The geomorphic and physiographic setting is technically significant because geologic 

conditions can place constraints on the nature, design, or location of the proposed action, as well 

as determine the impacts that the proposed action would have on other important resources. 

The project area is located within the St. Bernard delta complex, the oldest deltaic complex 

within the Mississippi Deltaic Plain Region. The USGS Open File Report 98-36 (1998) 

describes the St. Bernard delta complex as a distinct physiographic unit, formed by Mississippi 

River deposits between 700 and 4,700 years ago. The most prominent features are the vast 

expanses of fresh, intermediate, brackish, and salt marsh. The majority of the remaining surface 

features are comprised of inland swamp, tidal channels, shallow lakes and bays, natural levee 

ridges along active and abandoned distributaries, sandy barrier islands and beaches. 

The St. Bernard delta complex began receiving Mississippi River deltaic sediments from the 

middle to late Holocene. The first deltaic deposits to enter the area were homogenous prodelta 

clays. This was followed by the deposition of interdistributary bay deposits as the Mississippi 

River and its distributaries prograded. The deposits were finer sediments (silty clay and clay) 

that were transported away from the distributary channel and settled out of suspension as 

interdistributary deposits. 

Construction of the MRGO channel, which began in 1958 and was completed in 1968, has 

impacted the natural geomorphology and hydrology of the St. Bernard deltaic complex in 

general and the project area in particular. A hydrologic study across areas of the current 

channel was conducted from 1959 – 1961 to evaluate the major hydrologic parameters, 

including circulation and salinity, prior to opening the MRGO to marine traffic in 1963 

(Rounsefell, 1964). These data indicated that the Bayou La Loutre ridge provided a basin 

boundary that limited the flow of saline water from the Breton Sound area into Lake Borgne. 

The Bayou La Loutre ridge was breached during construction of the MRGO (Figure 3.1). An 

analysis of typical tidal flow across the region indicates that since construction of the MRGO, 

circulation patterns have been altered along its length in areas between Breton Sound and Lake 

Borgne (Wicker et al., 1982). Breaching the Bayou La Loutre ridge, which served as a basin 

boundary, has altered circulation patterns in areas along the lower southeastern length of the 

channel and across areas between Breton Sound and Lake Borgne. 
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Until recently, emergent wetlands located adjacent to the MRGO have been impacted by waveaction from deep-draft navigation vessel traffic, and other man-made and natural causes 

resulting in erosion rates between 27 and 38 feet (ft) per year (8.2 and 11.6 meters [m] per year) 

(USACE, 2004). The Lake Borgne shoreline continues to be eroded by factors such as wind 

and tidal surge at a rate of seven to 15 ft per year (2.1 to 4.6 m per year) (Barras, 2006). Interior 

wetlands in the project area have also been subject to natural subsidence at a rate of 0.50 ft per 

century (0.15 ms per century) due to natural deltaic processes. With a projected eustatic sea 

level rise of 1.3 ft per century (0.40 m per century), this combines for an increase in relative sea 

level of 1.8 ft per century (0.55 m per century) (personal communication, Del Britsch, CEMVN, 

2007). This results in an interior wetland loss rate of 0.65 to 1.02 percent per year (Barras, 

2006). 

The following information is based upon review of CEMVN Operations and Maintenance 

records, files, and reports. In 1993, 1995, and 2004, dredged material removed from the Inland 

Reach was placed on the land bridge north of the navigation channel to create wetlands in the 

vicinity of Bayou Dupre as well as near Shell Beach, Hopedale, and Bayou La Loutre. In 

general, dredged material was pumped into shallow, open water areas confined with earthen 

retention dikes to prevent sediments from flowing into the channel, oyster leases, or other nonwork areas. The dredged material slurry was allowed to flow into adjacent broken marsh to 

nourish it where practicable. The amount of material used beneficially varied among 

maintenance cycles, but in FY 2004, a total of 792,361 cubic yards (605,009 cubic meters) was 

placed to create 145.4 acres (58.9 ha) of marsh from one cycle, and another cycle in FY 2004 

created a total of 600.7 acres (243.4 ha) and nourished 132.5 acres (53.7 ha) of marsh in four 

disposal areas on the land bridge in the Shell Beach vicinity. 

Shoreline protection measures have been installed along the north and south banklines of the 

MRGO Inland Reach to lower maintenance costs, reduce shoreline erosion, protect the 

Chalmette Loop Hurricane Protection Levee, and protect wetland creation sites. In general, 

shoreline protection along the north bank consisted of rock dikes constructed parallel to narrow 

segments of the MRGO/Lake Borgne land bridge. Shorter segments of rock dikes were 

constructed along the north bank near Bayou La Loutre to protect wetland creation sites. Poor 

foundations provided by underlying channel sediments require frequent maintenance of rock 

dikes on the north bank. A nearly continuous rock dike was constructed along the south 

bankline from Mile 60 to Mile 47 fronting the Hurricane Protection Levee. Shorter “test 

sections” of Articulated Concrete Mattresses (ACM) were placed in two reaches of the south 

bankline near Mile 37 and Mile 39 to evaluate the performance of ACM as an alternate 

shoreline protection measure. The extent of shoreline protection measures constructed to date 

and the previously approved disposal areas along the upper MRGO channel are depicted in 

Figure 3.2. 
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Figure 3.1 Intersection of the Bayou La Loutre Ridge and the MRGO (USACE, 2007)
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Figure 3.2 Existing Shoreline Protection Measures and Disposal Areas along the Upper MRGO Channel
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3.4 SOILS 

3.4.1 Historic and Existing Conditions 

This resource is institutionally significant because of the Council on Environmental Quality 

(CEQ) memorandum of August 11, 1980, entitled “Analysis of Impacts on Prime or Unique 

Agricultural Lands in Implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA);” 

Executive Order 11990 – Protection of Wetlands; and Agriculture and Food Act of 1981 (Public 

Law 97-98) containing the Farmland Protection Policy Act (Public Law 97-98; U.S.C. 4201 et 

seq.). This resource is technically significant because it is a critical element of coastal habitats, 

and supports vegetation growth and open-water benthic productivity. This resource is publicly 

significant because of the high value the public places on wildlife and fisheries supported by the 

soils in the area. 

Deltaic processes have played a significant role in the types of soil present in the project area. 

The dynamic and episodic deltaic building processes alternates between periods of seaward 

progradation of deltas (regressive deposition) and the subsequent landward retreat of deltaic 

headlands as deltas are abandoned, reworked, and submerged by marine waters (transgressive 

deposition). The types of soils present today in much of the project area are characterized by 

the depositional environments associated with both of these phases of the deltaic cycle. The 

Soil Conservation Service (now Natural Resources Conservation Service) characterizes the soil 

types found in the project area as Clovelly muck, Fausse clay, and Lafitte muck (USDA, 1989). 

Clovelly muck is well suited for wetland wildlife habitat and combined with brackish marshes 

and shallow open water supports marine life of the Gulf of Mexico. 

3.5 COASTAL VEGETATION RESOURCES 

3.5.1 Historic and Existing Conditions 

Coastal vegetation resources are institutionally significant because of the Coastal Barrier 

Resources Act of 1982; Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972; Emergency Wetlands 

Resources Act of 1986; Estuary Protection Act of 1968; Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act of 

1980; the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act of 1958, as amended; Migratory Bird 

Conservation Act; Migratory Bird Treaty Act; Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA); 

Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act 1990; National Environmental Policy 

Act of 1969; the North American Wetlands Conservation Act; the Water Resources 

Development Acts of 1976, 1986, 1990, and 1992; and Executive Order 13186 Migratory Bird 

Habitat Protection. Coastal vegetation resources are technically significant because they are a 

critical element of the coastal habitats. In addition, coastal vegetation resources serve as the 

basis of productivity, contribute to ecosystem diversity, provide various habitat types for fish 

and wildlife, and are an indicator of the health of coastal habitats. Coastal vegetation resources 

are publicly significant because of the high priority that the public places on their aesthetic, 

recreational, and commercial value. 

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), in a letter dated December 20, 2006 

(Appendix B), formally requested that significant fish and wildlife resources and important 

habitats be fully considered and addressed in the Draft EIS including: emergent marsh, 

submerged aquatic vegetation, and shallow open water habitats. The National Marine Fisheries 
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Service (NMFS) in a letter dated December 22, 2006 (Appendix C), indicated that in addition 

to being designated as essential fish habitat (EFH), the water bodies and wetlands in the project 

area provide nursery and foraging habitats supportive of a variety of important marine fishery 

species. The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF), in a letter dated 

December 28, 2006, emphasized the importance of the wetlands and shallow-water habitats in 

the project area to estuarine fishes and invertebrates. 

Existing coastal vegetation resources in the 92,217-acre (37,361 ha) project area are 

predominantly classified as brackish (13,328 acres/5,400 ha) and saline (7,627 acres/3,090 ha) 

marsh (Figure 3.3; Barras, 2006). There are presently no fresh or intermediate marshes, 

scrub/shrub, forest, or swamp habitats within the project area (Barras, 2006). There are no 

submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) species currently in the project area. The dominant 

vegetation in the area is smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora), with concentrations of 

common threesquare (Schoenoplectus pungens), seashore saltgrass (Distichlis spicata), and 

marshhay cordgrass (Spartina patens). The remainder of the area is primarily classified by the 

USGS as open water. 

Prior to construction of the MRGO the project area was classified as brackish marsh - threecornered grass (O'Neill, 1949; see also Figure 3.4, reference 1956 habitat map). By 1978 the 

project area marsh was entirely brackish (Figure 3.4, reference 1978 habitat map). The 

project area was predominantly brackish marsh in 1988; however, saline marsh was present 

along the southern-most lobe of Lake Borgne extending along the northern MRGO bank from 

the southern-most portions of the project area, near Bayou La Loutre, to as far north as Bayou 

Dupre (Figure 3.4, reference 1988 habitat map). In 2000, the project area was still 

predominantly brackish marsh; however, saline marsh no longer extended along the MRGO 

northern bank as far north as Bayou Dupre as it had in 1988 (Figure 3.4, reference 1988 and 

2000 habitat maps). Table 3.1 depicts pre-Hurricanes Katrina and Rita vegetation types in the 

project area (years 1956, 1978, 1988, and 2000), as well as post-Hurricanes Katrina and Rita 

data from October 25, 2005. 

Construction and use of the MRGO contributed to changes in habitat types, as well as to direct 

and indirect losses of wetlands in the project area (Figure 3.4). The Bayou La Loutre ridge 

formed a natural barrier to the more saline waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Construction of the 

MRGO channel breached this ridge, allowing greater tidal connectivity and saltwater intrusion 

thereby increasing the average salinity throughout the project area (Tate et al., 2002). 

Submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) formerly observed in the wetlands north of MRGO, 

Proctor Point, and Lower Proctor Point marshes declined as the average salinity increased. 

Salinities in the project area average about 16 parts per thousand (ppt) in the lower reaches and 

about 13 ppt in the upper reaches since the construction of the MRGO (Tate et al., 2002). 
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Figure 3.3 Habitat Analysis of the Project Area from 2005 (Barras, 2006) 
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Figure 3.4 Habitat Analysis in Project Area for Years 1956, 1978, 1988, and 2000 (Wicker, 1980; Barras et al., 19

Barras et al., 2003; Morton et al., 2007)
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Table 3.1 Pre-Hurricane Katrina Habitat Types in the Project Area (Years 1956, 1978, 

1988, and 2000), as well as Post-Hurricane Katrina Vegetation Types in 2005 

(Wicker, 1980; Barras et al., 1994; Barras et al., 2003; Morton et al., 2005; 

Barras, 2006) 

Total Acreage in Project Area: 92,217 acres 

Habitat Types Change in vegetation type over time expressed in acres 

1956 1978 1988 2000 2005 

Water (Natural) 60,828 63,952 61,066 

Water (Artificial) 306 4,257 

Water- Brackish Zone 5,513 9,107 

Water-Saline Zone 4,219 61,232 

Estuarine Water 67,695 

Water- Developed-Ag/Pasture Zone 254 

Fresh Marsh 192 

Non-fresh Marsh 30,616 (22,961)* (23,560)* (20,671)* (20,955)* 

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

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

Shrub/Scrub 2 

Shrub/Scrub (Spoil) 12 802 

Wetland Shrub/Scrub 133 

Upland Shrub/Scrub 149 73 

Bottomland Shrub/Scrub 231 

Swamp 16 

Forest 34 28 

Wetland Forest 7 

Bottomland Forest 9 

Beach 124 34 

Shore/Flat 232 

Non-wetland 372 

Upland Barren 28 

Agriculture Pasture 295 151 

Developed 77 98 1 

Developed-Ag/Pasture 657 

Inert 71 

Out of Analysis 12 12 12 12 12 

* acreages in parentheses are the total of brackish and saline marsh acreages for comparison to 1956 

** note that 20 years after MRGO construction, saline marshes in the southeastern Lake Borgne and 

MRGO channel vicinity are documented for the first time 
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3.6 WILDLIFE RESOURCES 

3.6.1 Historic and Existing Conditions 

This resource is institutionally significant because of the National Environmental Policy Act of 

1969; the Coastal Zone Management Act; Estuary Protection Act; the Fish and Wildlife 

Coordination Act of 1958, as amended; the Migratory Bird Conservation Act of 1929, as 

amended; the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918; the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA), 

as amended; the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act of 1980; the North American Wetlands 

Conservation Act; Executive Order 13186 Migratory Bird Habitat Protection; Migratory Bird 

Conservation Act; and the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Wildlife resources are technically 

significant because they are a critical element of the coastal barrier ecosystem, they are an 

important indicator of the health of coastal habitats, and many wildlife species are important 

recreational and commercial resources. Wildlife resources are publicly significant because of 

the high priority that the public places on their aesthetic, recreational, and commercial value. 

The USFWS, in a letter dated December 20, 2006, formally requested that significant fish and 

wildlife resources be fully considered and addressed in the Draft EIS, including: seabirds, 

shorebirds, wading birds, migratory and resident waterfowl, and estuarine-dependant fishes and 

shellfishes. In addition, USFWS requested that important habitats, such as emergent marsh, 

submerged aquatic vegetation, and shallow open water, should also be addressed in the Draft 

EIS. Furthermore, the USFWS identified two threatened and endangered species (Gulf sturgeon 

and West Indian manatee) of concern within the project area. The LDWF, in a letter dated 

December 28, 2006, indicated the Draft EIS should address the importance of natural waterways 

remaining accessible to both fish and wildlife resources, and resource users. 

Coastal Louisiana's wetlands support millions of neotropical and other migratory avian species 

such as rails, gallinules, shorebirds, wading birds, and numerous songbirds, as well as many 

different furbearers, rabbits, deer, and alligators. The rigors of long distance flight requires 

most neotropical migratory birds to rest and refuel several times before they reach their final 

destination. Louisiana coastal wetlands provide neotropical migratory birds essential stopover 

habitat on their annual migration route. The coastal wetlands in the project area provide 

important and essential fish and wildlife habitats, especially transitional habitat between 

estuarine and marine environments, used for shelter, nesting, feeding, roosting, cover, nursery, 

and other life requirements. 

Table 3.2 shows the status, functions of interest, trends, and projections through 2050 for 

avifauna, furbearers, game mammals, and reptiles within the project area (LCWCRTF & 

WCRA, 1999). Emergent brackish wetlands are typically utilized by many different wildlife, 

including: seabirds; wading birds; shorebirds; dabbling and diving ducks; raptors; rails, coots, 

and gallinules; other emergent brackish marsh residents and migrants; nutria; muskrat; mink, 

otter, and raccoon; rabbits; deer; and American alligator. Emergent saline marshes are typically 

utilized by: seabirds; wading birds; shore birds; dabbling and diving ducks; rails, coots, and 

gallinules; other saline marsh residents and migrants; nutria; muskrat; mink, otter, and raccoon; 

rabbits; deer; and American alligator. Open water habitats in Lake Borgne provide wintering 

and multiple use functions for brown pelicans; seabirds; and other open water residents and 

migrants. Open water habitats in the project area provide wintering and multiple use functions 

for brown pelicans; seabirds; dabbling and diving ducks; rails, coots, and gallinules; other open 
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Table 3.2 Status, Functions of Interest, Trends, and Projections through 2050 For Avifauna, Furbearers

and Reptiles within the Project Area (LCWCRTF & WCRA, 1999) 

Furbearers Game Mammals Reptiles 

Nutria Muskrat Mink, Otter, and Raccoon Rabbit Deer Alligator Brown Pelican 

Mapping Unit Type % of unit 

function 

status 

trend 

projection 

function 

status 

trend 

projection 

function 

status 

trend 

projection 

function 

status 

trend 

projection 

function 

status 

trend 

projection 

function 

status 

trend 

projection 

function 

status 

trend 

projection 

OW 42 Mu Lo D D Mu Lo D D Mu Lo D D NH NH Mu Lo D D W Mo I I 

BM 24 Mu Lo D D Mu Lo D D Mu Lo D D Mu Lo D D Mu Lo D D Mu Lo D D NH 

South Lake Borgne 

(Project Area) SM 32 Mu Lo D D Mu Lo D D Mu Lo D D Mu Lo D D Mu Lo D D Mu Lo D D NH 

Lake Borgne OW 100 NH NH NH NH NH NH W Mo I I 

Table 3.2 (cont.): 

Avifauna (cont.) 

Shorebirds Dabbling Ducks Diving Ducks Raptors Rails, Coots Gallinules Other Marsh/ Wetland Residents 

W

Mapping Unit 

function 

status 

trend 

projection 

function 

status 

trend 

projection 

function 

status 

trend 

projection 

function 

status 

trend 

projection 

function 

status 

trend 

projection 

function 

status 

trend 

projection 

 NH W Lo D D W Lo D D NH W Lo D D Mu Mo Sy Sy M

Mu Hi Sy D W Lo D D W Lo D D Mu Lo Sy D Mu Lo D D Ne Hi Sy D M

South Lake Borgne (Project Area) 

Mu Hi Sy D W Lo D D W Lo D D NH Mu Lo D D Ne Hi Sy D M

Lake Borgne NH NH W Hi Sy Sy NH NH Mu Mo Sy Sy M

Type: OW = Open Water; BM = Brackish Marsh; SM = Salt Marsh Function: Ne = Nesting; St = Stopover Habitat; W = Wintering; Mu = Multiple Use Status: NH = Not Historically Present; NL = No Longer Present; Lo = Low Numbers; Mo = Moderate Numbers; Hi = High Numbers 

Trends (since 1985)/Projections (through 2050): Sy = Steady; D = Decrease; I = Increase; U = Unknown
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water residents and migrants; nutria; muskrat; mink, otter, and raccoon; and American alligators 

(LCWCRTF & WCRA, 1999). The nutria (Myocastor coypus) and feral hogs (Sus scrofa) are 

two mammals found within the project area that are identified as invasive species in Louisiana 

(LDWF et al., 2003). 

3.7 FISHERY RESOURCES 

3.7.1 General 

Fishery resources are institutionally significant because of the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act 

of 1958, as amended; the Endangered Species Act of 1973; the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 

Conservation and Management Act of 1976, as amended (Magnuson-Stevens Act); the 

Magnuson-Stevens Act Reauthorization of 2006; the Coastal Zone Management Act; and the 

Estuary Protection Act. Fishery resources are technically significant because: they are a critical 

element of many valuable freshwater and marine habitats; they are indicators of the health of 

various freshwater and marine habitats; and many species are commercially important. Fishery 

resources are publicly significant because of the high priority placed on their aesthetic, 

recreational, and commercial value. 

By letter dated December 22, 2006, the NMFS indicates fishery resources in the project area 

include marine and estuarine finfish and shellfish (Appendix C). In addition, aquatic and tidally 

influenced habitats within the project area are designated as EFH for various life stages for 

shrimp, red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus), reef fish, and stone crab (see Table 3.3) managed by the 

Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (GMFMC). In addition, the waterbodies and 

wetlands in the project area provide nursery and foraging habitats supportive of a variety of 

economically important fishery species, such as striped mullet, Atlantic croaker, Gulf menhaden, 

spotted and sand seatrout, southern flounder, black drum, and blue crab. Some of these species 

serve as prey for other fish species managed under the Magnuson-Stevens Act by the GMFMC. 

The LDWF, by letter dated December 28, 2006, indicated the Draft EIS should address the 

importance of natural waterways remaining accessible to both fish and wildlife resources, and 

resource users. 

Emergent wetlands and shallow open water areas in the project area provide important and 

essential fishery habitats including transitional habitat between estuarine and marine 

environments used by migratory and resident fish and other aquatic organisms for nursery, 

foraging, breeding and spawning, and other life requirement. The area historically and currently 

provides valuable habitat for recreational and commercial fishing, oyster culture, and nursery 

areas for a wide variety of finfish and shellfish (Rounsefell, 1964; Penland et al., 2002). 

Population trends for fishery species within the project area are displayed in Table 3.4

(LCWCRTF & WCRA, 1999). Lake Borgne data indicate an existing and projected steady 

population for finfish, shellfish, bivalves, and shrimp through 2050. In the project area, existing 

populations are projected to decrease for all finfish, shellfish, bivalves, and shrimp (Table 3.4). 

Globally, overfishing and habitat change have resulted in the depletion of 90% of the world’s 

seafood resources (Worm et al., 2006). Of the species studied, 38% have experienced more than 

90% depletion. Seven percent of the species studied have become extinct (Worm et al., 2006). 
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Table 3.3 Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) for Various Life Stages for Shrimp, Red Drum, 

Reef Fish, and Stone Crab (Personal Communication, NMFS, 2006) 

Species Life Stage System EFH 

Larvae Marine 

<82 m depth; planktonic, 

sand/shell/soft bottom, SAV, 

Brown emergent marsh, oyster reef 

Shrimp 

Juvenile Estuarine 

<18 m; SAV, sand/shell/soft 

bottom, SAV, emergent marsh, 

oyster reef 

White Shrimp Juvenile Estuarine <30 m; SAV, soft bottom, 

emergent marsh 

Pink Shrimp Juvenile Estuarine <65 m; sand/shell substrate 

Eggs Estuarine/Marine <18 m; sand/shell/soft bottom 

Larvae/ 

Postlarvae Estuarine/Marine 18 m; planktonic/oyster reefs, soft bottom Gulf Stone 

Crab 

Juvenile Estuarine <18 m; sand/shell/soft bottom, 

oyster reef 

Larvae/ 

Postlarvae Estuarine 

All estuaries planktonic, SAV, 

sand/shell/soft bottom/ emergent 

marsh 

Juvenile Estuarine/Marine 

Gulf of Mexico <5 m west from 

Mobile Bay; all estuaries SAV, 

sand/shell/soft/hard bottom, 

emergent marsh 

Red Drum 

Adults Marine/Estuarine 

Gulf of Mexico 1-46 m west from 

Mobile Bay; all estuaries SAV, 

pelagic, sand/shell/soft/hard 

bottom, emergent marsh 

Larvae Estuarine/Marine 4-132 m; reefs, SAV 

Lane Snapper Juvenile Estuarine/Marine <20 m; SAV, mangrove, reefs, 

sand/shell/soft bottom 

Dog Snapper Juvenile Estuarine/Marine SAV, mangrove, emergent marsh 
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Table 3.4 Population Trend And Projection through 2050 for Fishery Guilds within the 

Project Area (LCWCRTF & WCRA, 1999) 

Mapping Unit 

Lake Borgne South Lake Borgne 

(Project Area) Fishery Guild 

Trend/Projection Trend/Projection 

Red Drum Steady/Steady Steady/Decline 

Black Drum Steady/Steady Steady/Decline 

Spotted Seatrout Steady/Steady Steady/Decline 

Gulf menhaden Steady/Steady Steady/Decline 

Southern flounder Steady/Steady Steady/Decline 

American Oyster Steady/Steady Steady/Decline 

White Shrimp Steady/Steady Steady/Decline 

Brown Shrimp Steady/Steady Steady/Decline 

Blue Crab Steady/Steady Steady/Decline 

Spanish Mackerel Steady/Steady Steady/Decline 

Largemouth Bass* 

Not Applicable/ Not 

Applicable 

Not Applicable/ Not 

Applicable 

Channel Catfish* 

Not Applicable / Not 

Applicable 

Not Applicable/ Not 

Applicable 

* Largemouth Bass and Channel Catfish guilds are not presently observed in the project area 

3.7.2 Historic and Existing Conditions 

3.7.2.1 Finfish 

Rounsefell (1964) characterized fishery resources in the marsh and bayou areas now traversed by 

the MRGO using bimonthly sampling data collected by the Texas Agricultural and Mechanical 

Research Foundation during the period July 1959 to March 1961 (El-Sayed, 1961). Estuarinemarine species dominated the fish communities with spot, Atlantic croaker, anchovy, and seatrout 

ranked among the top ten species in every area sampled. Only two freshwater species, blue 

catfish and sunfish, ranked among the top ten species. Four non-migratory estuarine species 

ranked among the top ten species in each of the lower salinity areas. Four marine species were 

among the top ten most abundant species in the higher salinity areas (El-Sayed, 1961). The five 

most widespread and economically important fish species (spot, Atlantic croaker, anchovy, 

seatrout, and Gulf menhaden) were more abundant in the higher salinity areas. Neither brown 

shrimp nor white shrimp exhibited notable salinity preferences and were transient residents of the 

marshes. Small blue crabs were most abundant in low salinity waters (Rounsefell, 1964). 

A list of the most abundant species sampled from 1959-1961 are presented in Table 3.5 

(Rounsefell, 1964). Of the 22 species of freshwater fishes documented by Fontenot and Rogillo 

(1970) in the study region, nine freshwater species disappeared after the completion of the MRGO 

channel (Table 3.6). These species included shovelnose sturgeon, chain pickerel, yellow bass, 

four species of sunfish (genus Lepomis), largemouth bass, and sauger. Fontenot and Rogillo 

(1970) attributed their disappearance “...during the latter half of the project due to an increase in 
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salinity as a result of salt water intrusion from the newly constructed Mississippi River – Gulf 

Outlet.” 

The most significant source of recent data identified for the project area was a very large 

sampling database developed and maintained by the LDWF (2000). The LDWF conducted 

extensive sampling of the coastal marshes, bayous, and lakes extending between Lake 

Pontchartrain and Breton Sound for several decades. The data received from the LDWF were 

collected from 1967 until 2000, with the exception of three missing years: 1970, 1971 and 1972. 

However, the LDWF (2000) data did not assess conditions prior to the construction of the MRGO 

channel. 

The first three years of data included shellfish and finfish. Beginning in 1976, the majority of 

reported catch data were brown, white, and pink shrimp. Due to the size of the database and lack 

of any summarized information, two sampling stations located closest to the project area were 

chosen to evaluate the possible effects on fisheries. As presented below, the findings from two 

key monitoring stations support the trend of aquatic species conversion in the project area to a 

predominately marine species composition. 

The LDWF trawl data (LDWF, 2000) shows the response of the fisheries in the project area to the 

introduction of saline waters. Estuarine fishes remained dominant in the area along with a few 

freshwater fishes. The most likely of the freshwater fishes to be found in marine conditions were 

white crappie (Pomoxis annularis), alligator gar (Lepisosteus spatula), and blue catfish (Ictalurus

furcatus). However, finfish species collected from two sampling stations indicate the beginning 

of a trend toward the emergence of a predominately marine species in these areas. As the salinity 

levels increased in the areas immediately adjacent to the MRGO channel, more marine fishes, like 

the Atlantic midshipman (Porichthys plectodon), Leatherjacket (Oligoplites saurus), Gray 

snapper (Lutjanus griseus), and Crevalle jack (Caranx hippos) began to appear in the sampling 

trawls (LDWF, 2000). 

3.7.2.2 Shrimp 

Statewide, a total of 39.1 million pounds (17.8 million kg) of brown and 62.1 million pounds 

(28.2 million kg) of white shrimp were landed in 2005, with a value of $41.3 million and 

$91.9 million, respectively (personal communication, NMFS, Fisheries Statistics Division, Silver 

Spring, MD, 2007). Whereas historically in the Lake Pontchartrain basin white shrimp were more 

predominant than brown in the inland fisheries (Schexnayder and Caffey, 2002), NMFS annual 

shrimp landings data from 1988-2000 show a continuing trend of brown shrimp landings 

exceeding those of white shrimp. With the exception of 1985, which showed exceptionally high 

landings of brown shrimp, peak landings of brown shrimp and white shrimp were similar to those 

observed in the 1970s. 
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Table 3.5 Pre-Construction Percent Relative Abundance of Top Ten Most Abundant Fish 

Species Collected by Otter Trawl in Areas in and Near Lake Borgne Along the 

Current MRGO Channel Alignment, 1959-61 (Rounsefell, 1964) 

Species Area of Capture 

Common Name Scientific Name 

Ecological 

Affinityb 1 2a 2b 3 6 7 8 % 

Spot Leiostomus 

xanthurus EM 6.8 11.3 32.1 23.5 44.2 57.5 52.3 32.5 

Atlantic croaker Micropogonias 

undulatus EM 21.1 40.2 26.8 11.2 19.4 11.9 10.6 20.5 

Anchovy Anchoa sp. EM 19.9 22.6 23.6 18.5 8.6 4.1 12.3 15.4 

Seatrout Cynoscion sp. EM 5.7 4.7 7.7 2 7.8 3.6 2.5 4.5 

Blue catfish Ictalurus 

furcatus FW 24.3 - - - - - - 3.2 

Sunfish Lepomis sp. FW - - - 25.3 - - - 3.6 

Hogchoker Trinectes 

maculatus ES 7.9 6.8 2.1 1.2 - - - 2.8 

Gulf menhaden Brevoortia 

patronus 

EM 9.1 4.6 0.8 2.6 0.7 - - 2.7 

Hardhead catfish Arius felis EM 1 2.3 0.7 - 4.0 5.8 3.4 2.7 

Fringed flounder Etropus 

crossotus 

MA - - - - - 3.5 5.0 1.4 

Pinfish Lagodon 

rhomboides ES - 4.1 - - 1.8 - - 1.2 

Bay whiff Citharichthys 

spilopterus EM - 0.6 - - 4.3 1.5 1.2 1.0 

Lined sole Achirus lineatus EM 1.2 1.9 1.4 - - - - 0.9 

Atlantic 

threadfin 

Polydactylus 

octonemus 

MA - - - - - 1.7 2.9 0.9 

Gulf killifish Fundulus 

grandis ES - - - - - - - 0.8 

Puffer Sphoeroides sp. MA - - - 5.5 1.6 2.5 - 0.7 

Silver perch Bairdiella 

chrysoura EM - - 0.8 - 2.2 - - 0.7 

Gafftopsail 

catfish Bagre marinus EM - - 1.2 - 0.7 1.2 1.1 0.6 

Bighead searobin Prionotus 

tribulus MA - - - - 0.7 - 1.9 0.6 

Southern 

flounder 

Paralichthys 

lethostigma EM 0.4 - - - - - - 0.3 

Sheepshead 

minnow 

Cyprinodon 

variegatus ES - - - 1.4 - - - 0.2 

Striped mullet Mugil cephalus EM - - - 1.4 - - - 0.2 

 Top Ten Species 97.4 99.1 97.2 92.6 96 93.3 93.2 97.4 

a: Ties for top ten species included. Percent composition not provided if species not in top ten for that area. 

b: Ecological affinity groups of Thompson and Fitzhugh (1985) : FW= Freshwater; ES = Estuarine, ; EM= 

Estuarine- marine; MA= Marine 
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Table 3.6 Freshwater Species That Were Not Collected after the Completion of the 

MRGO Channel (Fontenot and Rogillo, 1970) 

Common Name Scientific Name 

Shovelnose sturgeon Scaphirhynchus platorynchus 

Chain pickerel Esox niger 

Yellow bass Morone mississippiensis 

Warmouth Lepomis gulosus 

Orange-spotted sunfish Lepomis humilis 

Bluegill Lepomis macrochirus 

Redspotted sunfish Lepomis miniatus 

Largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides 

Sauger Stizostedion canadense 

3.7.2.3 Blue Crab 

Statewide, a total of 38.1 million pounds (17.3 million kg) of blue crab were landed in 2005, with 

a value of $27.4 million (personal communication, NMFS, Fisheries Statistics Division, Silver 

Spring, MD, 2007). The blue crab is an important commercial species in the Lake Pontchartrain 

Basin. A decline in blue crab landings in Lake Pontchartrain in the 1970s resulted in a mean 

annual catch of 1.4 million pounds (636,000 kg), or only about nine percent of the total state 

landings, compared to 2.6 million pounds (1.4 million kg), or about 27 percent, in 1959-64 

(Thompson and Stone, 1980). By 1978-81, the mean annual catch had increased to 2.1 million 

pounds (950,000 kg) or about 12 percent of the total state catch (Thompson and Stone, 1980). 

In otter trawls surveys in the project area (Rounsefell, 1964) blue crab abundance declined as 

salinity increased. Rounsefell (1964) observed that small blue crabs (less than 50 mm [2 inches]) 

were most abundant in the open, low salinity waters of Lake Borgne. The slightly larger crabs 

(50-99 mm [2-4 inches]) were more abundant in the Bayou Dupre area, indicating that smaller 

crabs migrate toward shallow and low salinity areas as they grow (Rounsefell, 1964). Mature 

female crabs eventually migrate considerable distances over just a few days to reach the higher 

salinity water of the sounds for spawning and hatching. 

3.7.2.4 Oyster 

The American oyster (Crassostrea virginica) is indigenous to coastal Louisiana, and provides a 

rich ecological and commercial resource. Salinity plays a key role in oyster sustainability 

(Eastern Oyster Biological Review Team, 2007). Adult oyster can tolerate salinities from 0 to 

42 ppt, but the optimal range is 14 to 28 ppt (EOBRT, 2007). Fresher waters fail to support 

biological function, and more saline waters promote disease and predation. Adult oysters are 

more prone to impacts from changes in water quality than commercially harvested fishes and 

crustaceans because they are sessile, and cannot relocate in response to changes in water quality 

parameters. 

Statewide, a total of 12.1 million pounds (5.5 million kg) of oyster were harvested in 2005, with a 

value of $33.3 million (personal communication, National Marine Fisheries Service, Fisheries 

Statistics Division, Silver Spring, MD, 2007). Production of oysters in Louisiana has been 
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relatively stable for the last 50 years, with harvest from public beds replacing the decreasing 

harvest from private leases. The Louisiana oyster industry has been experiencing many stressors 

over the past several decades that threaten the long-term sustainability of both the industry and the 

resource (Coleman, 2003). Increasing coastal land loss is reducing the amount of marsh that 

provides shelter to reefs, and saltwater intrusion is exacerbating disease and predation. In 

addition, the industry is faced with changing environmental conditions, fluctuating market 

demands, public perception issues, and increased competition. 

3.8 PLANKTON RESOURCES 

This resource is institutionally significant because of the National Environmental Policy Act of 

1969, the Coastal Zone Management Act, and the Estuary Protection Act. This resource is 

technically significant because plankton provide a major, direct food source for animals in the 

water column and in the sediments; plankton are responsible for at least 40 percent of the 

photosynthesis occurring on the earth; plankton are important for their role in nutrient cycling; 

plankton productivity is a major source of primary food-energy for most estuarine systems 

throughout the world; and phytoplankton production is the major source of autochthonous organic 

matter in most estuarine ecosystems (Day et al., 1989). This resource is publicly significant 

because plankton form the lowest trophic food level for many larger organisms important to 

commercial and recreational fishing. In addition, there is a public health concern with noxious 

plankton blooms (red and brown tides) that produce toxins, and large-scale blooms can lead to 

hypoxic conditions, which can result in fish kills. 

3.8.1 Historic and Existing Conditions 

Plankton communities serve an important role in the coastal waters of Louisiana. Phytoplankton 

are the primary producers of the water column, and form the base of the estuarine food web. 

Zooplankton provide the trophic link between the phytoplankton and the intermediate level 

consumers such as aquatic invertebrates, larval fish, and smaller forage fish species (Day et al., 

1989). Microzooplankton appear to be important consumers of bacterioplankton, which are 

typically enumerated primarily by culture and microscopic techniques. Culture techniques are 

selective and invariably underestimate bacterial densities (Day et al., 1989). “The Cooperative 

Gulf of Mexico Estuarine Inventory and Study, Louisiana,” prepared by the Louisiana Wildlife 

and Fisheries Commission in 1971 provides a summary of plankton across the coastal estuaries of 

Louisiana in the late 1960s (Perret et al., 1971). The dominant member of the zooplankton 

community throughout that study was the copepod Acartia tonsa. The greatest concentrations of 

zooplankton were encountered in Breton Sound. The lowest concentrations were encountered in 

Chandeleur Sound and Lake Borgne east of the Mississippi River, Lakes Barre and Raccourci, 

and Terrebonne and Timbalier Bays. Species diversity was greatest in the Breton Sound and 

Mississippi River, East Bay, Garden Island Bay, and West Bay areas. 

Historically, salinity appears to be the chief controlling factor in the number of species present, 

while temperature, competition, and predation control the number of individuals present (Day et 

al., 1989). In addition, the abundance of certain zooplankton may be indicative of good fishing 

areas. While some zooplankton are euryhaline, others have distinct salinity preferences (Day et 

al., 1989). Therefore, introduction of river water into estuarine systems may have dramatic shortterm impacts on plankton populations in adjacent coastal waters (Hawes and Perry, 1978). 
Chapter 3 Affected Environment 

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3.9 WATER BOTTOMS AND BENTHIC RESOURCES 

These resources are institutionally significant because of the NEPA of 1969; the Coastal Zone 

Management Act; and the Estuary Protection Act. These resources are technically significant 

because the bottom of an estuary regulates or modifies most physical, chemical, geological, and 

biological processes throughout the entire estuarine system via what is called a “benthic effect.” 

Benthic animals are directly or indirectly involved in most physical and chemical processes that 

occur in estuaries (Day et al., 1989). Benthic resources are publicly significant because members 

of the epibenthic community (e.g., oysters, mussels, etc.) provide commercial and recreational 

fisheries as well as creating oyster reef habitats used by many marine and estuarine organisms. 

The bottom estuarine substrate or benthic zone regulates or modifies most physical, chemical, 

geological, and biological processes throughout the entire estuarine system via what is commonly 

called a “benthic effect” (Day et al., 1989). Within a salt marsh, less than ten percent of the 

above-ground primary production of the salt marsh is grazed by aerial consumers. Most plant 

biomass dies and decays and its energy is processed through the detrital pathway. The major 

consumer groups of the benthic habitat include: bacteria and fungi, microalgae, meiofauna, and 

microfauna (Mitsch and Gosselink, 1993). 

Benthic community structure is not static; it provides a residence for many sessile, burrowing, 

crawling, and even swimming organisms. The benthic community is a storehouse of organic 

matter and inorganic nutrients, as well as a site for many vital chemical exchanges and physical 

interactions. Day et al. (1989) describe the functional groups of estuarine benthic organisms. 

These groups include: macrobenthic (e.g., molluscs, polychaetes, decapods); microbenthic (e.g., 

protozoa); meiobenthic (e.g., nematodes, harpacticoid copepods, tubillaria), epibenthic; infauna 

(e.g., most bivalves); interstitial fauna (e.g., beach meiofauna, tardigrades); suspension-feeders 

(e.g., bryozoans and many bivalves); filter-feeders (e.g., poriferans, tunicates, bivalves); 

nonselective deposit feeders (e.g., gastropods); selective deposit feeders (e.g., nematodes, sand 

dollars, fiddler crabs); raporial feeders and predators (e.g., star fish and gastropod drills); and 

parasites and commensuals (e.g., parasitic flatworms, copepods, and pea crabs). 

According to Mitsch and Gosselink (1993), the salt marsh is a major producer of detritus for both 

the salt marsh system and the adjacent estuary. Mitsch and Gosselink (1993) point out that the 

detritus material exported from the marsh is more important to the estuary than the 

phytoplankton-based production in the estuary. Detritus export and the shelter found along marsh 

edges make salt marshes important nursery areas for many commercially important fish and 

shellfish. Salt marshes have been shown at times to be both sources and sinks of nutrients, 

particularly nitrogen. 

Additionally, in response to concerns by the USFWS and the NMFS, a benthic survey was 

performed by the USACE Engineering Research and Development Center (ERDC) to assess the 

potential for impacts to potential prey items for the Gulf sturgeon (Gary Ray, ERDC, personal 

communication, 2007). To evaluate the potential for such impacts, benthos and sediments were 

sampled from the proposed dredging sites, nearby reference sites, and proposed access and 

floatation channels, to determine if foraging habitat for the Gulf sturgeon exists in the project 

area. A total of 111 infaunal samples and seven sediment grain size samples were taken between 

May 21 and May 24, 2007. Depths of the sample sites ranged from 5 ft to 10 ft (1.5 m – 3.0 m), 

salinities ranged from 9.1 ppt to 11.2 ppt and dissolved oxygen concentrations ranged from 

6.0 mg/l to 8.0 mg/l. Sediments in the proposed borrow areas are poorly sorted sandy mud with a 
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mean grain size in the range of very coarse silts. Total silts and clays accounted for more than 

64% of the sediment with the remainder dominated by very fine sand. Sediments in the proposed 

access channel sites differ somewhat with the innermost (shoreward) stations dominated by peat 

and the outermost resembling those of the borrow areas. 

The benthic assemblage of the study area is dominated by polychaetes (62%), bivalves (14%) and 

amphipods (11%). The most abundant species, the polychaete Mediomastus ambiseta accounts 

for more than 28% of all animals collected. Other important polychaete species include 

Parandalia americana, Streblospio benedicti, Sigambra bassi, Glycinde solitaria, Nereis 

succinea, Pectinaria gouldii, and Capitella sp. The most abundant bivalve mollusks are Macoma 

mitchelli, Mulinia lateralis, and Mulinia pontchartrainensis. The amphipods are dominated by 

Ampelisca abdita, Ameroculodes sp. A, and Cerapus benthophilus. Other numerically abundant 

species include the gastropod Acetocina canaliculata, two unidentified species of nemerteans, and 

the oligochaete Tubificoides sp. Together these eighteen species comprise nearly 94% of all 

animals encountered. This assemblage is typical of soft bottom, mesohaline (5.0 ppt–18 ppt) 

communities throughout the northern Gulf of Mexico and similar to previous reports from Lake 

Borgne. 

3.10 ESSENTIAL FISH HABITAT 

3.10.1 Historic and Existing Conditions 

Essential Fish Habitat is institutionally significant because of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 

Conservation and Management Act of 1996. EFH is technically significant because EFH includes 

“those waters and substrate necessary to fish for spawning, breeding, feeding or growth to 

maturity.” The high value that the public places on seafood, recreational and commercial 

opportunities makes EFH a publicly significant resource. Specific categories of EFH include all 

estuarine waters and substrates (mud, sand, shell, rock, and associated biological communities), 

including the sub-tidal vegetation (sea grasses and algae) and adjacent inter-tidal vegetation 

(marshes and mangroves). There is no submerged aquatic vegetation within the project area. 

By letter dated December 22, 2006, the NMFS identified EFH resources in the project area as 

including aquatic and tidally influenced habitats designated as essential fish habitat (EFH) for 

various life stages for shrimp, red drum, reef fish, and stone crab managed by the GMFMC (see 

Table 3.3). Table 3.3 lists life stages and subcategories of EFH for Federally managed fishery 

species potentially impacted by the SP. Primary categories of EFH in the project area include 

estuarine emergent wetlands; sand, mud, and shell substrates; and estuarine and marine water 

column. 

By letter dated December 20, 2006, the USFWS indicates that EFH resources in the project area 

include critical habitat for the Gulf sturgeon. They also indicated that the Draft EIS should 

address all significant resources and important habitats, such as emergent marsh, SAV, and 

shallow open water habitat. 

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Plan applies to several fisheries occurring in St. 

Bernard Parish and adjoining waters, including brown shrimp, white shrimp, red drum, gray 

snapper, Spanish mackerel, and sharks. Of these, white shrimp, brown shrimp, red drum, and 

sharks are likely to be present in Lake Borgne and the MRGO. In addition, the waterbodies and 

coastal wetlands in the project area provide nursery and foraging habitat that supports 
Chapter 3 Affected Environment 

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economically important marine fishery species such as spotted and sand seatrout, southern 

flounder, Atlantic croaker, gulf menhaden, striped mullet, black drum, and blue crab. These 

species serve as prey for Federally-managed fish species such as mackerels, snappers, groupers, 

billfishes and sharks. 

3.11 ENDANGERED AND THREATENED SPECIES 

This resource is institutionally significant because of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as 

amended, and the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972. Endangered (E) and threatened (T) 

species are technically significant because the status of such species provides an indication of the 

overall health of an ecosystem. These species are publicly significant because of the desire of the 

public to protect them and their habitats. 

3.11.1 Historic and Existing Conditions 

Federally-Listed Endangered and Threatened Species 

Within the State of Louisiana there are thirty animal and three plant species (some with critical 

habitats) under the jurisdiction of the USFWS and/or the NMFS, presently classified as 

endangered or threatened (Table 3.7). The USFWS and the NMFS share jurisdictional 

responsibility for sea turtles and the Gulf sturgeon. Of the animals and plants under USFWS 

and/or NMFS jurisdiction, nine animal species and no plant species are potentially found within 

the project area (see also Appendix A – Biological Assessment). Although some of these 

species may be occasionally found in the project area, those species that may be potentially 

impacted by the proposed action are described below. 

Two Federally listed avian species occur or may occur in the project area: the brown pelican and 

the piping plover. The listed brown pelican, completely extirpated from Louisiana by the 1960s 

(source: http://www.lacoast.gov/articles/bps/2/index.htm), now commonly feeds in adjacent 

shallow estuarine waters, using sand spits and offshore sand bars as resting and roosting areas. 

Brown pelicans commonly breed on Breton Island, which is outside of the project area. They also 

forage in the waters of Breton and Chandeleur Sounds, and Lake Borgne. Major threats to this 

species include chemical pollutants, colony site erosion, disease, and human disturbance. 

Piping plovers (including the threatened [Great Plains] and endangered [Great Lakes] 

populations) winter on barrier islands along the Gulf coast, including Louisiana. The most recent 

(January-February 2001) survey coordinated by the USFWS recorded no piping plovers at the 

mouth of the channel (personal communication, USFWS, 2006). The species may occasionally 

use exposed flats in the area, especially around the Chandeleur and Breton islands, but are 

unlikely to utilize habitats in the project area. Wintering plovers feed by probing for invertebrates 

at or just below the surface on exposed wet sand in wash zones; intertidal ocean beach; wrack 

lines; washover passes; mud-, sand-, and algal-flats; and shorelines of streams, ephemeral ponds, 

lagoons, and salt marshes. Beaches adjacent to foraging areas are used for roosting and preening. 

Small sand dunes, debris, and sparse vegetation within these adjacent beaches provide shelter 

from wind and extreme temperatures (source: http://www.fws.gov/plover/facts.html). Major 

threats to this species include: loss and degradation to breeding habitat, disturbance of breeding 

plovers by humans and pets, non-motorized beach activities, motor vehicles, beach cleaning, 

predation, winter habitat loss, severe cold weather and storms, hurricanes, and oil spills and other 

contaminants (source: http://www.fws.gov/northeast/pipingplover/recplan/threats.html). 
Chapter 3 Affected Environment 

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Table 3.7 Endangered and Threatened Plant and Animal Species in Louisiana 

(E=Endangered; T= Threatened; C=Candidate; species in bold type are those 

potentially found within the study area) 

Species Under Jurisdiction of the USFWS 

Status Common Name (Scientific Name) 

Species Under Jurisdiction of NMFS 

Status Common Name (Scientific Name) 

Mammals

E1

 -- Florida Panther (Felis concolor coryl) 

E1 -- Red wolf (Canis rufus) 

E -- West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus) 

T -- Louisiana black bear (Ursus americanus luteolus) 

Birds

E2 -- Bachmans's warbler (Vermivora bachmanii) 

E -- Brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) 

E1

 -- Eskimo curlew (Numenius borealis) 

E1 -- Ivory-billed woodpecker (Campephilus 

principalis) 

E -- Least tern; interior population (Sterna antillarum) 

E -- Red-cockaded woodpecker (Picoides borealis) 

T -- Piping plover (Charadrius melodus) 

Reptiles

E3

 -- Hawksbill sea turtle (Eretomchelys imbricata) 

E3-- Kemp's (Atlantic) Ridley sea turtle 

(Lepidochelys kempii) 

E3

-- Leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) 

T(S/A)4

 --American alligator (Alligator 

mississippiensis) 

T -- Gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) 

T3

-- Green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) 

T3 -- Loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) 

T -- Ringed sawback turtle (Graptemys oculifera) 

Fish

E -- Pallid sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus) 

T3

 -- Gulf sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoi) 

Invertebrates

E -- Mussel, Fat pocketbook (Potamilus capax) 

E -- Pink pearlymussel Mucket (Lampsilis abrupta) 

T -- Inflated (Alabama) heelsplitter (Potamilus inflatus) 

T -- Louisiana pearlshell (Margaritifera hembeli) 

Plants

E -- American chaffseed (Schwalbea americana) 

E -- Louisiana quillwort (Isoetes louisianensis) 

T -- Earth fruit (Geocarpon minimum) 

Candidate Species5

C -- Snake, Louisiana pine (Pituophis ruthveni) 

Marine Mammals

E -- Sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) 

E -- Sei whale (Balaenoptera borealis) 

E -- Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) 

E -- Finback whale (Balaenoptera physalus) 

E -- Blue Whale (Balaenoptera musculus) 

Sea Turtles3

E -- Hawksbill sea turtle (Eretomchelys imbricata) 

E -- Kemp's (Atlantic) Ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys 

kempii) 

E -- Leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelyscoriacea) 

T -- Green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) 

T -- Loggerhead sea Turtle (Caretta caretta) 

Fish

T -- Gulf sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoi) 

Candidate Species5

Dusky shark (Carcharhinus obscurus) 

Sand tiger shark (Odontaspis taurus) 

Night shark (Carcharinus signatus) 

Speckled hind (Epinephelus drummondhayi) 

Saltmarsh topminnow (Fundulus jenkensi) 

Jewfish (Epinephelus itajara) 

Warsaw grouper (Epinephelus striatus) 

___________________________________________ 

1 Florida panther, red wolf, Eskimo curlew, and ivorybilled woodpecker presumed extirpated in the state. 2 No confirmed sightings of Bachman’s warbler on U.S. 

nesting grounds since mid-1960s. Species may be 

extirpated in Louisiana. 3 USFWS and NMFS share jurisdictional responsibility 

for sea turtles and the Gulf sturgeon. 4 Alligator in Louisiana is classified for law enforcement 

purposes as "Threatened due to Similarity of 

Appearance." They are biologically neither endangered 

nor threatened. Regulated harvest is permitted under 

state law. 5 Candidate species are not protected under the ESA, but 

concerns regarding their status indicate they may 

warrant listing in the future. Federal agencies and the 

public are encouraged to consider these species during 

project planning so that future listings may be avoided. 

The West Indian manatee may occasionally enter Lakes Pontchartrain and Maurepas, and 

associated coastal waters and marshes of Louisiana (personal communication, USFWS, 2006). In 

2001, a manatee was observed passing through the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal Lock into the 

Mississippi River (personal communication, USFWS, 2006). Manatees are found within local 

waterways only during months with warm enough conditions. Manatee populations have 
Chapter 3 Affected Environment 

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declined due to collisions with watercraft, entrapment in flood control structures, poaching, 

habitat loss, and pollution. Populations may also be adversely affected by cold weather and red 

tide outbreaks. While rare, the potential exists for the manatee to be within the project area. 

Gulf sturgeon have been reported in rivers and lakes of the Lake Pontchartrain basin, and adjacent 

estuarine areas (personal communication, USFWS, 2006). Within Louisiana, portions of the 

Pearl and Bogue Chitto Rivers, Lake Pontchartrain east of the Causeway Bridge, Little Lake, the 

Rigolets, Lake St. Catherine, and Lake Borgne were designated as critical habitat for the Gulf 

sturgeon on March 19, 2003 (Federal Register Volume 68, No. 53). According to the final critical 

habitat designation, elements essential for Gulf sturgeon conservation are habitat components 

supporting feeding, resting, sheltering, reproduction, and migration. Important physical features 

include: abundant prey items within riverine habitats; riverine spawning sites; riverine 

aggregation areas; appropriate flow regime and water quality characteristics; sediment quality; 

and safe and unobstructed migratory pathways (e.g., a river unobstructed by a permanent 

structure, or a dammed river that still allows for passage). Poor water quality, over-fishing and 

habitat alterations that limit or prevent spawning have negatively affected Gulf sturgeon 

populations. 

Five listed sea turtle species may occur in the project area, but typically are found in Gulf of 

Mexico waters: the Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle, Atlantic green sea turtle, hawksbill sea turtle, 

loggerhead sea turtle, and leatherback sea turtle. All sea turtles occurring within the Gulf of 

Mexico are generally found south of the project area in Breton and Chandeleur Sounds. 

However, sea turtles have been rarely sighted in the project area. 

Louisiana State Rare, Threatened and Endangered Species and Natural Communities 

The Louisiana Natural Heritage Program (LNHP), founded in 1984 through a partnership with the 

state of Louisiana and The Nature Conservancy, is maintained by the Louisiana Department of 

Wildlife and Fisheries (source: http://www.wlf.state.la.us/experience/naturalheritage/). The 

LNHP was founded with the goal of developing and maintaining a database on rare, threatened 

and endangered species of plants and animals, and natural communities for Louisiana. The 

LNHP lists forty-three species and natural communities (see Table 3.8) as occurring in Orleans 

Parish and St. Bernard Parish (sources: 

http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/pdfs/experience/naturalheritage/orleans.pdf and 

http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/pdfs/experience/naturalheritage/st.%20bernard.pdf, respectively). 

However, several of these listed species and natural communities are generally found or located 

outside the project area including: coastal live oak-hackberry forest and live oak forest natural 

communities. The chorus frog is typically found in extreme eastern Louisiana in cypress ponds, 

pine barren ponds, flooded meadows, flatwoods, ditches and their associated environs (source: 

http://amphibiaweb.org/index.html). In Louisiana, the American oystercatcher is typically found 

on the muddy strands of the Chandeleur Islands and nearby islands (source: 

http://www.losbird.org/labirds/amoy.htm). The USFWS Pallid Sturgeon Recovery Plan indicates 

the pallid sturgeon is found in the freshwater rivers and tributaries of the Mississippi and 

Atchafalaya Rivers (USFWS, 1993). 
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Table 3.8 Rare, Threatened, & Endangered Species & Natural Communities Tracked by 

the Louisiana Natural Heritage Program, Orleans and St. Bernard Parishes - 

March 2007 

(source: http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/experience/naturalheritage/rarespeciesandparishhabitats/) 

Scientific Name Common Name State Rank1 

Accipiter cooperii Cooper's Hawk S2B,S3N 

Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoi Gulf Sturgeon S1S2 

Ajaia ajaja Roseate Spoonbill S3 

Brackish Marsh Brackish Marsh S3S4 

Caretta caretta Loggerhead Sea Turtle S1 

Cenchrus tribuloides Dune Sandbur S2 

Chamaesyce bombensis Sand Dune Spurge S1 

Charadrius alexandrinus Snowy Plover S1B,S2N 

Charadrius melodus Piping Plover S2N 

Coastal Dune Grassland Coastal Dune Grassland S1S2 

Coastal Live Oak-hackberry Forest Coastal Live Oak-Hackberry Forest S1S2 

Coastal Mangrove-marsh Shrubland Coastal Mangrove-marsh Shrubland S3 

Echinochloa polystachya River Grass S1? 

Egretta rufescens Reddish Egret S2B,S2N 

Eleocharis fallax Creeping Spike-rush S1? 

Eptesicus fuscus Big Brown Bat S1S2 

Fuirena scirpoidea Southern Umbrella-sedge S1 

Galium virgatum Southwest Bedstraw S2 

Haematopus palliatus American Oystercatcher S1 

Haliaeetus leucocephalus Bald Eagle S2N,S3B / Endangered 

Halophila engelmannii Gulf Halophila S1 

Intermediate Marsh Intermediate Marsh S3S4 

Lipocarpha micrantha Small Flower Hemicarpha SH 

Live Oak Forest Live Oak Forest S1S2 

Malaclemys terrapin Diamondback Terrapin S2 

Marine Submergent Vascular Vegetation Marine Submergent Vascular Vegetation S1S2 

Pelecanus occidentalis Brown Pelican S2 

Physalis angustifolia Coastal Ground Cherry S1? 

Plegadis falcinellus Glossy Ibis S2 

Potamogeton perfoliatus Clasping-leaf Pondweed S1 

Pseudacris ornata Ornate Chorus Frog S1 

Sabatia arenicola Sand Rose-gentian S1 

Salt Marsh Salt Marsh S3S4 

Scaphirhynchus albus Pallid Sturgeon S1 

Serenoa repens Saw Palmetto S1 

Smilax auriculata Eared Greenbrier S1? 

Sterna caspia Caspian Tern S1S2B,S3N 

Sterna nilotica Gull-billed Tern S2B,S2S3N 

Submergent Vascular Vegetation 

(Estuarine) 

Estuarine Submergent Vascular 

Vegetation S1S2 

Thalassia testudinum Turtle-grass S2? 

Trichechus manatus Manatee SZN 

Uniola paniculata Sea Oats S2 

Waterbird Nesting Colony Waterbird Nesting Colony SNR 1

State Element Ranks: S1 = critically imperiled in Louisiana because of extreme rarity; S2 = imperiled in 

Louisiana because of rarity; SZ = transient species in which no specific consistent area of occurrence is 

identifiable; B = breeding occurrence; N = nonbreeding occurrence; S? = rank uncertain.
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3.12 HYDROLOGY 

This resource is institutionally significant because of the National Environmental Policy Act of 

1969; Clean Water Act; Flood Control Act of 1944; Coastal Barrier Resources Act; Rivers and 

Harbors Act of 1899; River and Harbor and Flood Control Act of 1970; Watershed Protection and 

Flood Prevention Act; Submerged Land Act; Coastal Zone Management Act; Safe Drinking 

Water Act; Estuary Protection Act; Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA); 

Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA); and 

Executive Order 11988 Floodplain Management. This resource is technically significant because 

Civil Works water resources development projects typically impact (positively or negatively) the 

interrelationships and interactions between water and its environment. This resource is publicly 

significant because the public demands clean water, hazard-free navigation, protection of 

estuaries and floodplains. 

The project area is situated within the Pontchartrain Basin, a 9,700-square-mile 

(25,152 square km) drainage basin. The Pontchartrain Basin contains three major estuarine lakes, 

Maurepas, Pontchartrain, and Borgne, that cover a total of 965 square miles (2,502 square km). 

Early in the 18th century, Lake Borgne was formed from the coalescence of three smaller lakes 

(LPBF, 2005) resulting in its tri-lobed shape with an area of about 254 square miles 

(659 square km). Lake Borgne is directly connected to the Gulf of Mexico through the 

Mississippi Sound (LPBF, 2005). Construction of the MRGO breached the Bayou La Loutre 

ridge resulting in direct connection to the Gulf of Mexico through Breton Sound. The project area 

is a rural uninhabited coastal wetlands area that is not used as a source of potable water or for 

agricultural irrigation purposes. There are no major sources of fresh groundwater available in the 

lower Lake Pontchartrain Basin (USGS and LDOTD, 2002). 

3.12.1 Flow and Water Levels 

3.12.1.1 Historic and Existing Conditions 

Isolation of the project area from Mississippi River influences has reduced fluctuations in water 

levels that occurred prior to construction of the Mississippi River levee system. Thus, current 

conditions are described by a relatively flat hydrograph, whereas distinct peaks associated with 

intense flooding events and lower baseline flow characterized historic conditions. 

Water levels in the project area are presently influenced primarily by wind and tides. Winddriven set-up can alter water levels to a greater extent than tides, which are diurnal and of low 

magnitude in this area. The maximum tidal range is about two ft (0.6 m). 

The project area falls within the Lake Pontchartrain basin. Rivers draining into this basin, in 

order of magnitude of average annual flow, include the Pearl, Amite, Tangipahoa, Tickfaw, and 

Tchefuncte. Predominant land use around the project area varies from agriculture and forestry to 

petroleum and fisheries. Overall runoff in the project area has increased over time due to nearby 

urbanization. Navigation channels, drainage canals, and access canals have further altered the 

hydrology of the basin. These channels may alter flow patterns within the project area by 

confining flows, crossing natural drainage boundaries, or conveying more saline waters inland. 

Existing channel banks may also alter overland flow patterns within the project area. 
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Recent study and modeling for the ongoing Hurricane Protection System has found that during 

storm events, such as tropical storms or hurricanes, emergent wetlands can reduce both wave 

heights and storm surge locally (personal communication, Ron Elmer, Senior Project Manager, 

USACE, 2007). The roughness factor of the vegetation increases bottom friction, which reduces 

wave energy thereby resulting in lower wave heights over flooded wetlands compared to heights 

predicted for unvegetated areas. Additionally, large expanses of wetlands can reduce the storm 

surge that propagates over them. Modeling has shown that the removal of a wetland buffer would 

likely result in a greater storm surge maximum height. 

The closure structure on the MRGO channel south of Bayou La Loutre would inhibit the flow of 

water from Breton Sound to the project area via the MRGO channel (USACE, 2007). Tidal flows 

from Mississippi Sound would still influence the area. Additionally, the closure structure and 

sector gates on the GIWW and Bayou Bienvenue planned for the authorized improvements to the 

Greater New Orleans Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction System would alter flow 

patterns in and near the western end of the project area (USACE, 2008). For construction of this 

structure (Figure 3.5), an access channel would be dredged on the Lake Borgne side of the 

floodwall. This would connect the MRGO channel with the GIWW across the Golden Triangle, 

but would close off an existing connection. The net effect would likely be negligible. The gates 

across Bayou Bienvenue and the GIWW would remain open, except when a storm surge is 

present or anticipated. This would prevent salt-water intrusion into the interior marshes in storm 

situations, while not impeding tidal flows under normal circumstances. The concrete floodwall 

across the MRGO channel south of Bayou Bienvenue would stop tidal flow on the channel, but 

the closure structure at Bayou La Loutre would have a greater impact on flows in the MRGO 

channel. Nevertheless, the water flows near the sector gates are anticipated to be greater than 

preconstruction conditions. Additionally, modeling scenarios indicate that the proposed flood 

protection levee would raise the water levels by up to 0.1 ft (0.03 m), with marshes experiencing 

up to seven hours additional wetted period per day (USACE, 2008).

3.12.2 Sediment 

3.12.2.1 Historic and Existing Conditions 

Sediment quality is defined as the suitability of the habitat for supporting designated uses, 

including, but not limited to, benthic fauna and emergent wetland plants. Storm events, flowing 

water, and other factors can potentially re-mobilize sediments. Aquatic sediments are essential in 

maintaining the structure (assemblage of organisms) and function (processes) of aquatic 

ecosystem. Sediment quality is important due to the role that sediments play in supporting 

community productivity. The productivity of green plants, algae, and bacteria build the 

foundation of food webs upon which higher aquatic organisms depend. Sediments provide 

essential habitats for epibenthic (live on sediments) and infaunal (live in sediments) invertebrates 

and demersal fish, which represent important food sources for amphibians, reptiles, fish, birds, 

and mammals. In addition, many fish and amphibian species utilize sediments at stages in their 

life cycles for the purposes of spawning, incubation, refuge, and over-wintering (LDEQ, 2005). 

The sediment budget into the Lake Borgne estuary has changed dramatically in recorded history. 

The construction of the levees along the Mississippi River as a result of the Mississippi River and 

Tributaries Act of 1928 (MR&T) reduced the amount of sediment introduced to the estuary 

during spring flood events (Kesel, 1988). Prior to the MR&T project, the high waters would 
Chapter 3 Affected Environment 

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result in overbank flow from the Mississippi River into the Lake Borgne estuary. The 

introduction of sediments and nutrients into the system would help to offset naturally-occurring 

subsidence to maintain the wetland acreage. The MR&T project created a barrier to sediment and 

nutrient introduction (Kesel, 1988). 

Sediments beneath navigable waters proposed as a source of borrow were evaluated for their 

suitability for disposal into waters of the U.S. in accordance with the appropriate guidelines and 

criteria adopted pursuant to Section 404 of the Clean Water Act and/or for ocean disposal in 

accordance with Section 103 of the Marine Protection Research and Sanctuaries Act (MPRSA) 

and supplemented by the Corps of Engineers Management Strategy for Disposal of Dredged 

Material: Containment Testing and Controls (or its appropriate updated version) as cited in Title 

33 Code of Federal Regulations, Section 336.1. The method for dredged material testing is 

specified in the Inland Testing Manual (Evaluation of dredged material proposed for discharge in 

waters of the U.S. – Testing Manual [EPA/USACE, 1998]) or the Ocean Testing Manual 

(Evaluation of dredged material proposed for ocean disposal – Testing Manual [EPA/USACE, 

1991]). The potential for the presence of contaminants in the dredged material was determined 

using the protocols in the Inland Testing Manual or the Ocean Testing Manual. For additional 

information see the section on water quality (Section 3.13). 

An evaluation of existing contaminant reports and data was conducted to determine if there is 

“reason to believe” contaminants may be present in lake sediments near the project area, and to 

determine if further testing of sediment from borrow areas in the lake would be required (see also 

Appendix D 404(b)(1) Evaluation). The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), National Response Center, 

maintains a database of reported oil and chemical spills for U.S. waterways. A search of this 

database was conducted for any spills reported within the last 20 years in the general vicinity of 

the project area, including Lake Borgne, Bayous Bienvenue, Dupre, and Yscloskey, the MRGO, 

and GIWW between the lake and MRGO. Four minor oil and fuel spills were reported in the lake 

between 1998 and 2005 (Report Nos. 443981, 615335, 739379, and 777114). A minor oil spill 

was reported in Bayou Bienvenue in 2006 (Report No. 796247). A larger spill of automotive 

gasoline (70 gallons) was reported west of the MRGO in Bayou Dupre in 1996 (Report 

No. 344785). 

Sediment chemistry data for Lake Borgne, provided by the EPA, Gulf Ecology Division, were 

also reviewed. Sediment samples were collected from thirteen sites in the lake between 1991 and 

2005, including four post-Hurricane Katrina collections (see Appendix D 404(b)(1) Evaluation). 

The sediment data were reviewed for the presence of 141 contaminants of concern (COC), 

including metals, PAHs, pesticides, PCBs, semi-volatiles, and volatiles. The concentrations of 

detected contaminants were compared to a set of screening values developed by the National 

Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to identify substances that may potentially 

threaten resources of concern at the marsh creation sites. Based on comparison to these screening 

values, little or no adverse biological effects would be expected as a result of the discharge of lake 

sediments into the marsh creation sites. 

Hence, based on the evaluation of USCG spill reports and sediment chemistry data, the CEMVN 

has no reason to believe that sediments from the proposed borrow sites in Lake Borgne are 

unsuitable for discharge into the proposed marsh creation sites. 

In August 2007, an ASTM E1527-05 Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) was 

completed for the project area to determine if the project site was within the vicinity of a 
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CERCLA National Priority List (NPL) site or RCRA response site. The project area was not 

identified in any of the reviewed Federal or State-listed cleanup sites as requiring further 

assessment or corrective action. Based on site visits to the project area and the above findings, 

the probability of encountering hazardous, toxic, and radioactive wastes in the project area is low 

(See Section 3.20 Hazardous, Toxic, and Radioactive Wastes). The Phase I ESA will be 

maintained on file at the CEMVN. 

3.13 WATER QUALITY 

This resource is institutionally significant because of the National Environmental Policy Act of 

1969; the Clean Water Act; the Coastal Zone Management Act; and the Estuary Protection Act. 

This resource is technically significant because the water quality supports most physical, 

chemical, geological, and biological processes throughout the entire estuarine system. This 

resource is publicly significant because the public demands clean water and healthy wildlife and 

fisher species for recreational and commercial use. 

3.13.1 Historic and Existing Conditions 

Historic and current water quality issues for rivers and streams in coastal Louisiana include the 

transport of nutrients, pesticides, synthetic organic compounds, trace elements, suspended 

sediment, and bacteria. The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals coordinates with the 

LDEQ, the LDWF, and the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry to issue water body 

advisories aimed at protecting the public’s health. 

The LDEQ assesses four categories for water use under the Louisiana Environmental Regulatory 

Code (LAC Title 33, Chapter 11) that would apply to the project area. Primary Contact 

Recreation includes activities such as swimming, water skiing, tubing, snorkeling, skin diving, 

and other activities that involve prolonged body contact with water and probable ingestion. 

Secondary Contact Recreation includes fishing, wading, and recreational boating, and other 

activities that involve only incidental or accidental body contact and minimal probability of 

ingesting water. Fish and Wildlife Propagation includes the use of water by aquatic biota for 

aquatic habitat, food, resting reproduction, and cover, including indigenous fishes and 

invertebrates, reptiles, amphibians, and other aquatic biota consumed by humans. Oyster 

Propagation includes the use of water to maintain biological systems that support economically 

important species of oysters, clams, mussels, and other mollusks consumed by humans so that 

their productivity is preserved and the health of human consumers of these species is protected. 

In the project area, Oyster Propagation was identified as being impaired in some areas. The 

USEPA and LDEQ identified low dissolved oxygen levels and high fecal coliform levels as the 

suspected causes for impairment for Oyster Propagation, but were not able to identify the sources 

of these problems (LDEQ, 2005). The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals, Office of 

Public Health, Molluscan Shellfish Program (LDHH, 2009) has prohibited harvesting of oysters 

for human consumption from leases in the project area south of the Lake Borgne shoreline 

through August 2009, at which time the prohibition will be reevaluated. 

Prior to construction of the MRGO, tidal flow into Lake Borgne was dominated by flow from 

Mississippi Sound because tidal flow from the Breton Sound area was reduced as it moved 

northwest across the marshes and wetlands through bayous and ponds toward Lake Borgne. 
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Habitats in the area were aligned along salinity gradients and reflected the varied landscape and 

interspersed watercourses (Chabreck and Condrey, 1979). 

Material dredged during construction of the MRGO channel was deposited in a 4,000 foot-wide 

(1,220 m) continuous strip along the channel’s southwestern side. Creation of the dredged 

material disposal area resulted in the disruption of water flow and partially impounded existing 

wetlands on the southwestern side of the spoil bank, which contributed to water quality problems 

and affected the quality and integrity of the emergent wetland habitat. 

According to environmental assessment #152 (EA #152) and EA #247 (USACE, 1991 and 1996), 

tidal currents promote mixing and dispersion in the upper water column of the MRGO, but 

density stratification as a result of the migrating saltwater wedge in the deep channel produces 

oxygen deficits and other associated water quality problems at deeper levels. These waters 

ordinarily remain confined to the MRGO channel and only directly influence the adjacent 

relatively shallow areas during periods of intense mixing. 

EA #152 (USACE, 1991) states that wastewater and polluted storm-water runoff from developed 

areas enter the MRGO from many sources. Both total and fecal coliform, indicators of bacterial 

pollution, have consistently exceeded the applicable criteria of 70 and 14 counts per 

100 milliliters, respectively. Coliform levels observed at other locations along the channel have 

usually exceeded the criteria as well, indicating a widespread area of water and wetlands that are 

subject to bacterial pollution. Measured dissolved oxygen levels at the nearby Bayou Dupre have 

consistently been above the minimum state standard and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 

criteria. With rare exceptions, pH measurements also have been within the desirable range of 

6.5 to 9.0. Toxic substances, including heavy metals and synthetic organics, have been measured 

above EPA criteria levels, but no patterns consistently exceeding the criteria for particular 

substances have been observed. 

Examination of data collected by the LDEQ in 2007 (personal communication, LDEQ, 2007) 

indicated that water quality in the project area has not declined since Hurricane Katrina. While 

fecal coliform counts in the waterways near the MRGO channel have still been measured above 

the criteria of 14 counts per 100 milliliters, the average counts are lower than in pre-Katrina 

sampling. Other water quality parameters show similar levels in pre- and post-Katrina samples. 

3.13.2 Salinity 

Tate et al. (2002) report mean monthly pre- and post-MRGO salinity for the period 1951 to 1963 

and 1963 to 1977 for several sites throughout the Pontchartrain Basin estuary. Two of these sites 

are located near the project area: the Chef Menteur Pass, located near the northern-most portion 

of the project area; and the Bayou La Loutre-Alluvial City, located near the southern-most portion 

of the project area (Table 3.9). Tate et al. (2002) indicate that salinity has increased on the 

average by 2.3 ppt at Chef Menteur Pass and 4.5 ppt at Bayou La Loutre-Alluvial City since 

construction of the MRGO. Salinity in the project area is typically lowest in the late spring and 

highest in the summer and fall. This pattern reflects seasonal variations in fresh water inflows 

from the major rivers and streams into the Pontchartrain Basin. 

The authorized closure structure across the MRGO channel to be constructed south of Bayou La 

Loutre is anticipated to result in the reduction of salinities at Alluvial City by up to 6.6 ppt 

(USACE, 2007). Additionally, another closure structure across the MRGO near Bayou 

Bienvenue and two sector gates across the GIWW and Bayou Bienvenue are planned for the 

Greater New Orleans Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction System (Figure 3.5), but 

these structures are not expected to alter salinity patterns in the area (USACE, 2008). 
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Table 3.9 Mean monthly pre- and post-MRGO salinity (ppt) for the period 1951 to 1963 

and 1963 to 1977 (Source: Tate et al., 2002) 

Month Chef Menteur Pass Bayou La Loutre, Alluvial City 

 Pre Post Pre Post 

January 3.8 5.7 6.8 9.8 

February 2.9 4.8 6.4 9.7 

March 2.2 4.3 6.3 10.4 

April 2.2 4.0 7.0 10.0 

May 2.6 4.0 9.5 10.2 

June 3.3 4.2 9.0 12.3 

July 3.2 6.3 7.9 16.0 

August 4.8 7.5 8.6 16.1 

September 6.0 8.5 8.2 12.9 

October 5.2 8.4 7.6 13.8 

November 5.2 8.0 8.0 13.1 

December 4.2 7.0 8.0 12.5 

Average 

Salinity 3.8 6.1 7.8 12.2 

Average 

Salinity 

Increases 

Post-MRGO 2.3 4.5 

3.14 RECREATIONAL RESOURCES 

This resource is institutionally significant because of the Federal Water Project Recreation Act of 

1965, as amended, and the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965, as amended. 

Recreational resources are technically significant because of the high economic value of 

recreational activities and their contribution to local, state, and national economies. Recreational 

resources are publicly significant because of the high value that the public places on fishing, 

hunting, and boating, as measured by the large number of fishing and hunting licenses sold in 

Louisiana, and the large per-capita number of recreational boat registrations in Louisiana. 

3.14.1 Historic and Existing Conditions 

The diversity of natural resources provides many recreational opportunities for water-based 

activities such as fishing, boating, water skiing, sailing, canoeing, crabbing, crawfishing, 

floundering, frogging, and shrimping. Conservation areas and wildlife refuges are also an 

important recreational resource. Two wildlife areas exist in the area, Biloxi State Wildlife 

Management Area, and Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge, both of which provide hunting 

and fishing related opportunities (Figure 3.6). Portions of the proposed action (Golden Triangle 

Marsh Creation and Nourishment) would be constructed on the Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife 

Refuge.
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Figure 3.5 Proposed Alignment of the Greater New Orleans Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction System S
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The recreation market area also attracts state and national attention with the availability of 

numerous charter fishing vessels. For the 2005-2006 season, the Sate of Louisiana issued 

617,566 fishing and 391,217 salt-water fishing resident/non-resident licenses. The State of 

Louisiana also issued 274,531 hunting and 223,922 big game hunting resident/non-resident 

licenses as well as 6,436 non-resident waterfowl hunting licenses. 

Boaters are provided recreational access into some of the most sought after sport fishing marshes 

in the state. The Louisiana Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP) 

inventoried over 282,000 acres (114,249 ha) of recreational facilities. Some of these facilities are 

tied to urban settings, however many are related directly to the marsh areas. 

There is a growing investment in the recreation resources surrounding the project area as 

evidenced by the numerous support facilities, including bait and tackle shops, boat storage and 

marinas, and docking facilities. Although there are no facilities directly in the project area, the 

eastern lobe of Lake Borgne is often cited in fishing reports as a fishing hotspot by local anglers 

(e.g., see Marshall, 2007). 

3.15 PUBLIC LANDS 

This resource is institutionally significant because of the Federal Water Project Recreation Act of 

1965, as amended; the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965, as amended; the National 

Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966; and the National Wildlife Refuge System 

Improvement Act of 1997. Public lands are technically significant because of the high economic 

value of recreational activities and their contribution to local, state, and national economies. 

Public lands are publicly significant because of the high value that the public places on 

conservation of natural resources, as well as access for fishing, hunting, and boating activities, as 

measured by the large number of fishing and hunting licenses sold in Louisiana, and the large percapita number of recreational boat registrations in Louisiana. 

3.15.1 Historic and Existing Conditions 

Public lands are those areas owned by the Federal or state government, which have been made 

available for public access. The National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997 

authorized that no new or expanded use of a refuge may be allowed unless it is first determined to 

be a compatible use and the use is not inconsistent with public safety. 

The Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) was established in 1990 within the city 

limits of New Orleans, Louisiana, in Orleans Parish. It encompasses 23,000 acres (9,318 ha) of 

fresh and brackish marsh. Whereas most of the refuge is behind hurricane protection levees, the 

area of the refuge in the Golden Triangle is not. A portion of this area of the Bayou Sauvage 

NWR is located within the Golden Triangle wetland creation feature in this study. 

In addition to a large wading bird rookery, the refuge provides winter habitat for tens of thousands 

of waterfowl. Endangered and threatened species known to inhabit the refuge include American 

alligator and brown pelican. Bald eagle are also known to utilize the refuge. 
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Figure 3.6 Parks and Conservation Areas near the Project Area
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 3.16 CULTURAL RESOURCES INCLUDING NATIONAL 

REGISTER LISTINGS 

3.16.1 Historic and Existing Conditions 

Recorded archival and historical research was conducted to develop a baseline level of knowledge 

for prehistoric and historic period cultural developments and to identify archaeological and 

historical sites previously recorded in the MRGO project area. Among the research efforts, a 

review of historical literature and previous archaeological investigation reports yielded 

information useful for developing a general chronology of cultural developments across the 

region. Information maintained by the Louisiana Department of Archaeology was consulted to 

identify previous cultural resources surveys in the area as well as to obtain site forms for 

previously sites. 

Cultural Setting 

Eight cultural units are used to characterize the prehistoric cultural sequence in southeast 

Louisiana. These are: Paleo-Indian (10,000 – 8,000 B.C.), Archaic (8,000 – 1,000 B.C.), Poverty 

Point (1,700 – 500 B.C.), Tchefuncte (500 B.C. – A.D. 100), Marksville (100 A.D. – A.D. 500), 

Baytown (A.D. 400 – 700), Coles Creek (A.D. 700 – 1,200) and Mississippian/Plaquemine (A.D. 

1,200 – 1,700). A summary of the sites within the project area appears in Table 3.10. 

Table 3.10 Cultural Resources Sites within the Project Area 

Site No. Type Period of Occupation Recommended 

Eligibility 

16OR23 Spanish Fishing Village Historic Not Eligible 

16SB39 Prehistoric Mounds Marksville – Coles Creek Eligible 

16SB40 Shell Midden Marksville – Mississippian Not Eligible 

16SB43 Shell Midden Marksville – Plaquemine Not Eligible 

16SB84 Battery Bienvenue Historic Eligible 

16SB148 Shell Midden Mississippian – Historic Not Eligible 

16SB149 Shell Midden Marksville – Historic Not Eligible 

16SB152 Shell Midden Marksville – Coles Creek, Historic Not Eligible 

16SB154 Shell Midden Plaquemine/Mississippian Eligible 

In addition to artifacts several sites, 16SB39, 16SB40, 16SB43 and 16SB154 contained human remains. Only 

at two of the sites, 16SB39 and 16SB154 were the human remains found in an undisturbed context. At 16SB40 

and 16SB143 the human remains were part of disturbed wave-washed component. 

3.16.2 Previous Investigations 

The present chapter provides background contextual information regarding previous archeological 

and architectural investigations completed within the general vicinity of the proposed project area 

in Orleans and St. Bernard Parishes, Louisiana. This background information was compiled to 

ensure that any previously recorded cultural resources situated within the current study area were 

relocated accurately during fieldwork, as well as to provide data on the nature and distribution of 

previously recorded cultural resources in the immediate project vicinity. A records review was 
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undertaken of all previously completed archeological investigations conducted within 1.6 km 

(1.0 mi) of the project area, as well as for archeological sites, historic standing structures, and 

National Register properties situated within 1.6 km (1.0 mi) of the currently proposed project 

area. The review involved the following activities: a search of relevant archeological site forms, 

surveys, and historic map data on file with the Louisiana Division of Archaeology and the State 

Library; a review of the historic standing structures files housed at the Louisiana Division of 

Historic Preservation; and a search of the online National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) 

database for St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana. The results of this background investigation are 

summarized below. 

Previously Conducted Cultural Resources Surveys 

A total of five previously completed cultural resources surveys and archeological inventories 

were identified within 1.6 km (1 mi) of the currently proposed project area. These investigations 

resulted in the identification of 32 archeological sites. Only twenty of the previously recorded 

sites identified in these five surveys (16SB39, 16SB40, 16SB43, 16SB44, 16SB47, 16SB65, 

16SB66, 16SB71, 16SB74, 16SB75, 16SB83, 16SB84, 16SB140, and 16SB148 through 

16SB154), however, are within 1.6 km (1 mi) of the currently proposed study areas. A total of 

nine of the above sites (16OR23, 16SB39, 16SB40, 16SB43, 16SB84, 16SB148, 16SB149, 

16SB152, and 16SB154) are positioned within the currently proposed project area. 

Of these studies, three were conducted prior to 1993 (Wiseman et al., 1979; Coastal Environments 

Inc., 1983; Jones and Franks, 1993), with the other two studies completed after 2004 (Warren, 

2004; Labadia et al., 2007). Four studies were completed on behalf of CEMVN, with the 

remaining investigation conducted for the St. Bernard Parish Police Jury in association the 

construction of a protective breakwater for Fort Proctor (16SB83). 

3.17 AESTHETICS 

3.17.1 Historic and Existing Conditions 

The general project area encompasses the surrounding areas of Lake Borgne/MRGO and adjacent 

marshes. The project area is in the vicinity of St. Bernard Parish and Orleans Parish, Louisiana. 

The visual complexity surrounding its fragmented and remote marshes, bayous, wetlands, ridges 

and levees provides a pleasing aesthetic to the public eye. View points that provide some visual 

interest are based on the interplay of lines, forms, colors and textures found in water, vegetation 

and changes in elevation from the water’s edge to dry land. Public significance is based on 

expressed public perceptions and professional analysis of the project area. 

The impacts of Hurricane Katrina on aesthetics are varied. Although Hurricane Katrina 

negatively impacted the project area and the people of the region, the visual complexity of remote 

marshes, bayous and wetlands remain. 

3.17.2 Scenic Rivers and Streams 

The Louisiana Natural and Scenic River System is one of the Nation’s largest, oldest, most 

diverse and unique state river protection initiatives (Louisiana Agricultural Center Internet web 

page: http://www.lsuagcenter.com/MCMS/RelatedFiles/%7B1755A5C5-C928-4561-8FAEE711DBD51852%7D/ScenicRiversVermilion-TecheTemplate.ppt). It encompasses over 
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80 streams or stream segments including over 3,000 linear miles (4,827 km) of Louisiana’s 

streams, rivers, and bayous (LDWF, 2005). The streams in the system vary from fast flowing 

upland streams with riffles and waterfalls to sluggish swamp bayous flanked by Spanish moss 

draped cypress trees to brackish water tidal creeks in the coastal marshes. A natural or scenic river 

is a river, stream, or bayou that is in a free-flowing condition and has not been altered by 

channelization or realignment (Louisiana Scenic Rivers Act [LSRA] - Acts 1988, No. 947, §1, 

eff. July 27, 1988). A stream can also be classified as scenic if it has been altered, but contains 

native vegetation and has little or no manmade structures along its bank. The Lake Borgne Canal 

(a.k.a. Violet Canal) is an example of such a scenic river that has been altered by dredging to 

improve navigation. 

The LDWF is the administrator of the Scenic River System and serves to protect these streams 

from the effects of channelization, channel realignment, clearing and snagging projects, and 

reservoir construction projects. The scenic river system is designed to protect the overall ecology 

of the stream including the wildlife, vegetation, and hydrology. It is also designed to preserve the 

wilderness qualities, scenic beauty, archaeological resources, and other features of the stream or 

bayou. All of these streams are used for recreational activities such as boating, fishing, and 

canoeing. The project area is made up mostly of open water marshes, swamps and bayous. There 

are seven designated scenic streams or bayous located near or adjacent to the project area 

(Table 3.11 and Figure 3.7). 

Table 3.11 Scenic Streams and Rivers (LSRA) 

Scenic Stream/River Location 

Bayou Dupre The Lake Borgne Canal to Terre Beau Bayou 

Lake Borgne Canal The Forty Arpent Canal to Bayou Dupre 

Bashman Bayou Origin to Bayou Dupre 

Terre Beau Bayou Bayou Dupre to the New Canal 

Pirogue Bayou Bayou Dupre to the New Canal 

Bayou Bienvenue Bayou Viuere to Lake Borgne 

Bayou Chaperon Origin to end 

There are other scenic areas that are only accessible by boat. These scenic areas can be found 

where high ground rises out of the marsh (and hardwood vegetation and brush associated with the 

crests of beach ridges, prehistoric mounds and middens, and natural levees) or where contrasting 

cultural elements increase the visual complexity. One example is the viewpoint into the ridges as 

seen from recreational boat traffic traveling along Doulluts Canal and the southern shoreline of 

Lake Borgne. Study interest emanates from the visual complexity surrounding the fragmented 

remote natural levee portion of an abandoned river distributary – a prime example of an ancient 

alluvial ridge undergoing gradual deterioration. A ridge, predominately vegetated by live oak, 

that rises out of the marsh (which is representative of the remnants of the abandoned St. Bernard 

Subdelta of the Mississippi River) and the occasionally white shell-laden Lake Borgne shoreline 

also provide pleasing vistas. 
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3.18 NOISE 

3.18.1 Historic and Existing Conditions 

Noise is institutionally significant because of the Noise Control Act of 1972 that declares the 

policy of the United States to promote an environment for all Americans free from noise that 

jeopardizes their health or welfare; and the Occupational Safety and Health Standards (29 CFR, 

part 1910) regarding protection against the effects of noise exposure. Noise is technically 

significant because noise can negatively affect the physiological or psychological well-being of 

an individual (Kryter, 1994) ranging from annoyance to adverse physiological responses, 

including permanent or temporary loss of hearing, and other types of disturbance to humans 

and animals, including disruption of colonial nesting birds. Noise is publicly significant because 

of the public’s concern for the potential annoyance and adverse effects of noise on wildlife and 

humans. 

Noise is typically associated with human activities and habitations, such as operation of 

commercial and recreational boats, water vessels, air boats, and other recreational vehicles; 

operation of machinery and motors; and human residential-related noise (air conditioner, lawn 

mower, etc.). However, the proposed project area is a remote and uninhabited marsh. The noise 

from distant urban areas surrounding the project area has little if any impacts on the area. 

3.19 AIR QUALITY 

3.19.1 Historic and Existing Conditions 

This resource is institutionally significant because of the Clean Air Act of 1963, as amended, and 

the Louisiana Environmental Quality Act of 1983, as amended. Air quality is technically 

significant because of the status of regional ambient air quality in relation to the National 

Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). Air quality is publicly significant because of the 

desire for clean air and public health concerns expressed by many citizens. 

Based upon a review of an ambient air quality five-year trend analysis (2000-2005) conducted by 

the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality – Air Quality Division (LDEQ-AQD), there 

were no violations of state air quality standards at the monitoring stations nearest the project area 

(LDEQ, 2006). The LDEQ-AQD also indicated that there are no non-attainment areas or 

deviations from National Ambient Air Quality Standards in the general vicinity. These findings 

indicate that the air quality in the project area is generally good. St. Bernard and Orleans Parishes 

are currently classified in attainment of all NAAQS (LDEQ, 2006). This classification is the 

result of area-wide air quality modeling studies. 
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Figure 3.7 Scenic Rivers And Bayous near the Project Area
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3.20 SOCIECONOMIC AND HUMAN RESOURCES 

This resource is institutionally significant because of the National Environmental Policy Act of 

1969; the Estuary Protection Act; the Clean Water Act; the River and Harbors Acts; the 

Watershed Protection and Flood Protection Act; and the Water Resources Development Acts. Of 

particular relevance is the degree to which the proposed action affects public health, safety, and 

economic well-being; and the quality of the human environment. This resource is technically 

significant because the social and economic welfare of the nation may be positively or adversely 

impacted by the proposed action. This resource is publicly significant because of the public’s 

concern for health, welfare, and economic and social well-being from water resources projects. 

3.20.1 Historic and Existing Conditions 

3.20.1.1 Population 

The project area is located in remote and uninhabited coastal wetlands within St. Bernard and 

Orleans Parishes. There are no communities or human populations in the project area. 

Nevertheless, there are population centers near the project area. The towns of Arabi, Meraux, 

Violet, and Poydras are located west of the project area in St. Bernard Parish, along with the 

larger city of Chalmette. To the northwest in Orleans Parish is Michoud, which falls in the 

Greater New Orleans area. The 2000 census data are presented in Table 3.12 (http://www.citydata.com). The Greater New Orleans area had a population of 484,674 in 2000, but in July 2006 

the estimated post-storm population was 223,388. Post-storm estimates for the minor population 

centers are not available, but for the purposes of this analysis, 2000 census data were used. 

Table 3.12 2000 Populations at Cities and Towns Near the Project Area 

(http://www.city-data.com) 

City, Town, or Municipality Population Distance From Project 

Area 

Arabi 8,092 5.7 miles 

Chalmette 32,081 4.7 miles 

Meraux 8,435 3.8 miles 

Violet 10,725 4.3 miles 

Poydras 7,890 5.4 miles 

Michoud1 14,963 2.5 miles 

New Orleans (Greater Metro) 484,674 9.4 miles2

1 – Michoud is included in the Greater New Orleans Metropolitan Area 

2 – to downtown New Orleans 

3.20.1.2 Infrastructure 

The project area is located in remote and uninhabited coastal wetlands within St. Bernard and 

Orleans Parishes. Other than buried oil, gas and utilities pipelines that pass through the area, 

there is no typical infrastructure (roads, buildings, etc.) within the project area. 
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3.20.1.3 Employment and Income 

The project area is located in remote and uninhabited coastal wetlands within St. Bernard and 

Orleans Parishes. There are no communities or human populations in the project area; hence, 

there is no employment or income base. The area may support sources of income related to oil 

and gas exploration and production, and commercial and recreational fishing. 

3.20.1.4 Navigation 

The project area is bounded by the MRGO along the south, and the GIWW along the northwest. 

3.20.1.4.1 Historic and Existing Conditions 

Prior to construction of the MRGO (1958-1968), navigation in the area was along the GIWW and 

the Mississippi River. Following completion of construction, the size and draft of vessels using 

the MRGO increased to meet the competitive demand for more efficient movements of bulk 

commodities. However, in the late 1990s preliminary analysis of deep-draft navigation indicated 

that maintaining the authorized dimensions of the MRGO was not cost-effective. 

In response to the widespread destructive impacts by Hurricane Katrina (2005), the Emergency 

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

Recovery, 2006 (Public Law 109-234) directed the Secretary of the Army, acting through the 

Chief of Engineers, to develop a comprehensive plan, at full Federal expense, to deauthorize 

deep-draft navigation on the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet, Louisiana, extending from the Gulf of 

Mexico to the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. 

On June 5, 2008, the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works (ASA (CW)) forwarded the 

U. S. Army Corps of Engineers Chief’s Report for the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (MRGO) 

Deep-Draft De-Authorization Study to Congress. This action officially de-authorized the MRGO 

from the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway to the Gulf of Mexico in accordance with the Water 

Resources Development Act of 2007. The Chief’s Report recommends construction of a closure 

structure, made of rock, just south of Bayou La Loutre near Hopedale, Louisiana, at full Federal 

expense, with the State of Louisiana providing lands, easements and rights of way for the project, 

as well as the State assuming the operation and maintenance responsibilities of the closure 

structure. The closure structure is designed to be 12 ft (3.7 m) wide at the top and 450 ft (137 m) 

wide at the bottom and will consist of more than 391,500 tons (386,667 metric tons) of stone. 

The Chief’s Report addresses recommendations concerning deauthorization and physical 

modification of the MRGO project and, based on the requirements of Section 7013 of 

WRDA 2007, has been expanded to include a plan to address ecosystem restoration. The plan for 

ecosystem restoration is preliminarily addressed in the report and will be fully addressed in a 

supplement to this report, which will be provided to Congress at a later date. 

3.20.1.5 Oil, Gas and Utilities Pipelines 

The petroleum industry in the state accounts for almost 25 percent of the total state revenues and 

employs more than 116,000 people (about 6 percent of the state’s total workforce). These 

workers earn almost twelve percent of the total wages paid in Louisiana. Indirect employment 

levels in support industries make this economic sector more important than is indicated by the 

direct employment figures. The total assessed value of interstate pipelines alone in Louisiana is 

over $600 million and the pipeline industry employs 4,855 persons with an annual payroll of 
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$250 million. Louisiana is laced with thousands of pipelines conveying oil, gas, and other liquid 

and gaseous materials for short and long distances. 

There are eleven utility crossings managed by six companies along the MRGO and extending into 

the project area (Table 3.13, Figure 3.8). The Air Products and Chemical Company has pipelines 

at Miles 59.9 and 58.7. The Tenneco Company has a pipeline at Mile 57.9 and two pipelines at 

Mile 42.7. The Collins Pipeline Company has a pipeline at Mile 57.7. The Southern Natural Gas 

Company has two pipelines at Mile 54.7, one at Mile 54.6. The Chevron Pipeline Company has a 

pipeline at Mile 45.6. The Bellsouth Company has a telephone cable line at Mile 41.6. 

Table 3.13 Utility Crossing and Owners 

Mile Marker Description Owner 

58.9 9” SUB GAS PIPELINE AIR PRODUCTS AND CHEMICAL 

58.7 12” SUB HYD PIPELINE AIR PRODUCTS AND CHEMICAL 

57.9 12” SUB GAS PIPELINE TENNECO OIL CO. 

57.7 16” SUB GAS PIPELINE COLLINS PIPELINE CO 

54.7 20” SUB GAS PIPELINE SOUTHERN NATURAL GAS CO. 

54.7 24” SUB GAS PIPELINE SOUTHERN NATURAL GAS CO. 

54.6 30” SUB GAS PIPELINE SOUTHERN NATURAL GAS CO. 

45.6 20” SUB GAS PIPELINE CHEVRON PIPELINE CO. 

42.7 36” SUB GAS PIPELINE TENNECO OIL CO. 

42.7 30” SUB GAS PIPELINE TENNECO OIL CO. 

41.6 SUB TELEPHONE CABLE BELLSOUTH TEL. 

3.20.1.6 Commercial Fisheries 

Louisiana’s coastal wetlands are the richest estuaries in the country for fisheries production. 

Commercially and recreationally important species such as brown and white shrimp, blue crabs, 

eastern oysters, and menhaden are abundant, but these species populations are threatened if land 

loss continues. Louisiana has historically been an important contributor to the Nation’s domestic 

fish and shellfish production, and is one of the primary contributors to the Nation’s food supply 

for protein. While Louisiana has long been the Nation’s largest shrimp and menhaden producer, 

it has also recently become the leading producer of blue crabs and oysters. 

Louisiana ports produce a catch comparable to that of the entire Atlantic seaboard, and more than 

triple that of the remaining gulf states (NMFS, 2001). Four Louisiana ports have ranked among 

the top ten in value of commercial fisheries landings throughout the U.S. since 1981 (NMFS, 

2003). Louisiana’s commercial landings have been over one billion pounds per year 

(454 million kg) for over 20 years, with a value exceeding $400 million in 2000. White shrimp 

(Litopenaeus setiferus), brown shrimp (Farfantepenaeus aztecus), and gulf menhaden (Brevoortia 

patronus) account for the majority of commercial harvest by value.
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Figure 3.8 Utility Crossings in and near the Project Area 
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The primary fisheries in the project area are brown and white shrimp, blue crabs, and oysters. 

While species data aren’t available for this particular area, totals for the state for 2005 are 

available from the NMFS (Personal communication from the NMFS, Fisheries Statistics Division, 

Silver Spring, MD, 2007). For the state, landings of brown and white shrimp totaled 39.1 million 

pounds (17.8 million kg) and 62.1 million pounds (28.2 million kg), with a value of $41.2 million 

and $91.9 million, respectively. Blue crab landings for the state totaled 37.9 million pounds 

(17.2 million kg) with a value of $26.8 million, and oyster landings totaled 12.1 million pounds 

(5.5 million kg) with a value of $33.3 million. In all, landings from Louisiana accounted for 

39 percent of the nation’s harvest of shrimp (all types), 25 percent of blue crab landings, and 

35 percent of oyster landings. 

From 1982 to 2005 at the Delacroix-Yscloskey, LA, combined port, an average of 12.5 million 

pounds (5.7 million kg) of seafood were landed, with an average value of $14.2 million (personal 

communication, NMFS, Fisheries Statistics Division, Silver Spring, MD, 2007). No trends were 

evident in the annual landings (Table 3.14). 

Table 3.14 Annual Seafood Landings at the Delacroix-Yscloskey, LA Combined Port 

(personal communication, National Marine Fisheries Service, Fisheries 

Statistics Division, Silver Spring, MD) 

Year Millions of 

Pounds 

Millions of 

Dollars Year Millions of Pounds 

Millions of 

Dollars 

1982 10.6 9.8 1994 25.3 37.6 

1983 6.6 9.0 1995 9.3 12.8 

1984 10.8 10.8 1996 10.1 10.9 

1985 11 10.6 1997 13.9 15.8 

1986 16.3 12.5 1998 14 15.6 

1987 12.5 13.1 1999 16 17 

1988 11.1 11.0 2000 15.5 20.1 

1989 9.5 9.8 2001 13.4 19.9 

1990 8.3 7.6 2002 15.5 20.5 

1991 11 8.0 2003 12.8 16.8 

1992 14 12.6 2004 12 14.4 

1993 12.8 11.8 2005 7.7 12.8 

 Average: 13.8 17.9 

3.20.1.7 Oyster Leases 

In 1892, Louisiana Act 206 established the first public oyster grounds open to all Louisiana 

residents. Act 206 also adjusted the closed season, increased the size of a lease to ten acres 

(4 ha), and authorized the office of oyster inspector to enforce the laws. Ten years later, 

Louisiana’s first comprehensive oyster law was passed with the Act of 1902. The Louisiana 

Department of Conservation issued the first private oyster lease in 1903 in Plaquemines Parish 

(Laiche, 1993). Additionally, the state manages several oyster seed grounds, from which oysters 

can be collected for transfer to private leases. 
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Production of oysters in Louisiana has been relatively stable for the last 50 years, with harvest 

from public beds replacing the decreasing harvest from private leases. The Louisiana oyster 

industry has been experiencing many stressors over the past several decades that threaten the 

long-term sustainability of both the industry and the resource. Increasing coastal land loss is 

reducing the amount of marsh that provides shelter to oyster reefs, and saltwater intrusion is 

exacerbating disease and predation. In addition, the industry is faced with changing 

environmental conditions, fluctuating market demands, public perception issues, and increased 

competition. Figure 3.9 shows oyster leases and state oyster grounds in and around the project 

area as of February 2007. Table 3.15 lists active oyster leases in the project area that would be 

acquired (at least in part) prior to construction. 

Table 3.15 Existing Oyster Leases in Project Area That Would be Acquired (at Least in 

Part) for this Project 

Location Lease # Owner # Acres Expiration 

Lake Borgne 2760300 886 547.0 01/01/15 

Lake Borgne 28841057 2452 240.0 01/01/22 

Lake Borgne 2816801 689 108.0 01/01/16 

Lake Borgne 2817801 1258 22.0 01/01/16 

Lake Borgne 2835101 3057 287.0 01/01/11 

Lake Borgne 2818401 71 260.0 01/01/11 

Fort Bayou 3296107 2264 11.0 01/01/22 

3.20.1.8 Flood Control and Hurricane Protection Levees 

The project area does not contain any flood control or hurricane protection structures. However, a 

portion of the Hurricane Protection System, a series of levees and floodgates designed to protect 

against storm surges associated with tropical systems, is located immediately adjacent to the 

project area to the north and west (Figure 3.10). Alternative plan formulation considered 

providing shoreline protection measures along the MRGO to protect portions of the Greater New 

Orleans Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction System (GNOHSDRRS). Along the 

southwestern shoreline of the MRGO, a portion of the GNOHSDRRS levee extends from Mile 47 

to Mile 60 to protect the population centers of Chalmette, Arabi, Poydras, Meraux, and Violet. 

This levee system is built to a height of 20.0 ft (6.1 m) NAVD88, and has floodgates at Bayou 

Dupre and Bayou Bienvenue. A levee along the northern shoreline of the GIWW protects 

portions of eastern New Orleans and Michoud, and levees along the IHNC protect portions of 

eastern New Orleans and Arabi. Many of these levees were damaged during Hurricane Katrina, 

and have been rebuilt. 

There are on-going efforts to raise the level of protection to conform to the updated requirement 

for a 100-year level of protection. The floodwall proposed for the GNOHSDRRS would be 

located in the northwest corner of the project area (Figure 3.5). It would consist of a floodwall 

constructed to an elevation of 26 ft (7.9 m) above the average water level, with a closure structure 

across the MRGO channel south of Bayou Bienvenue, and sector gates across Bayou Bienvenue 

and the GIWW that would be closed during storm surge situations (USACE, 2008).
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Figure 3.9 Active Oyster Leases in and near the Project Area
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Figure 3.10 Flood Protection Features near the Project Area 
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3.21 HAZARDOUS, TOXIC AND RADIOACTIVE WASTES 

3.21.1 Historic and Existing Conditions 

The USACE is obligated under Engineer Regulation (ER) 1165-2-132 to assume responsibility 

for the reasonable identification and evaluation of all HTRW contamination within the vicinity of 

the proposed action. ER 1165-2-132 identifies the USACE policy to avoid the use of project 

funds for HTRW removal and remediation activities. Costs for necessary special handling or 

remediation of wastes (e.g., those regulated by the RCRA), pollutants and other contaminants, 

which are not regulated under the CERCLA, will be treated as project costs if the requirement is 

the result of a validly promulgated Federal, state or local regulation. 

HTRW investigations facilitate early identification and consideration of HTRW problems. The 

Civil Works Project Plan routinely includes a phased and documented review to provide for early 

identification of HTRW potential at project sites. ER 1165-2-132 requires that viable options to 

avoid HTRW problems be determined and a procedure for resolution of HTRW concerns be 

established. 

The discharge of dredged material into waters of the U.S. is regulated under the Clean Water Act 

(CWA), and the Marine Protection and Sanctuaries Act governs the transportation of dredged 

material to ocean waters for the purpose of disposal. The RCRA hazardous waste management 

regulations, promulgated pursuant to RCRA (42 U.S.C. 6905) specifically exempt dredge material 

from the hazardous waste definition if that material is covered by: 

1) a permit issued under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C. 1344; 

2) a permit issued under Section 103 of the Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries 

Act of 1972 33 U.S.C. 1413; or 

3) the administrative equivalent of such permits where the work involves an Army Corps of 

Engineers civil works project, 40 C.F.R. 261.4(g), 63 F.R. 65874, 65921; November 30, 

1998.ER1165-2-132 states, dredged material and sediments beneath navigable waters proposed 

for dredging qualify as HTRW only if they are within the boundaries of a site designated by the 

EPA or a state for a response action (either a removal or a remedial action) under CERCLA, or if 

they are a part of a NPL site under CERCLA. 

As reported in the Phase I ESA, during review of historic records the presence of a former World 

War II training facility known as the Shell Beach, Anti-Aircraft Training Center (AATC) located 

on the southern shoreline of the eastern half of Lake Borgne was identified. Based on review of 

historic documents and information obtained from personnel interviews, ammunition was shot 

from both large and small caliber weapons at targets that were towed above Lake Borgne. 

Magnetic surveys of the shoreline protection area between Doulluts Canal and Jahncke’s Ditch 

were conducted by USACE Baltimore District, Munitions and Explosives of Concern (MEC) 

dredging experts. These surveys did not identify the presence of MEC in the dredged material 

deposited within an existing shoreline protection project. The MEC dredging experts reported a 

low probability of encountering MEC in the project area. The MEC dredging experts also 

recommended that borrow area sediments be monitored during the project for MEC. 

Even though the risk of encountering MEC in the project area was determined to be low, as a 

precaution, a risk assessment and response plan was prepared to identify procedures to follow 

should a MEC be discovered. Protocols for proper notification, handling, and disposal of 
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potential MEC associated with the former Shell Beach AATC have been developed for 

implementation if MEC is discovered during the dredging operations and placement of the dredge 

material. 

Should at anytime during the project HTRW concerns arise, the CEMVN would take immediate 

actions to investigate the concerns. Should an HTRW issue be determined and the development 

of a response action required, CEMVN would coordinate with the appropriate Federal and state 

authorities to implement an approved response action.