The 2018 

Evaluation Report

to the U.S. Congress

on the Effectiveness

of Coastal Wetlands

Planning, Protection

and Restoration

Act Projects

Coastal Wetlands 

Planning, Protection 

and Restoration Act 

(CWPPRA)
Louisiana Coastal Wetlands Conservation and Restoration Task Force. 2018. 

The 2018 Evaluation Report to the U.S. Congress on the Effectiveness of 

Coastal Wetlands, Planning, Protection and Restoration Act Projects.

Map images provided by the U.S. Geological Survey Wetland and Aquatic Research Center. 

Cover image: U.S. EPA
CWPPRA Mission Statement

Louisiana continues to face an unprecedented collapse of its entire coastal ecosystem 

and the vital economic activity and unique culture that it supports. Over the past 

28 years, the Louisiana Coastal Wetlands Conservation and Restoration Task Force 

(Task Force) has fulfilled its role under the Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection 

and Restoration Act (CWPPRA) by implementing a science- and engineering-based 

program that extensively engages stakeholders and the public and serves as the 

Nation’s model for effective and efficient coastal restoration. In order to secure the 

future of Louisiana’s coast, the Task Force and stakeholders must share a common 

vision, one that aligns with State and national priorities.

Introduction

Calcasieu-Sabine Basin

Mermentau Basin

Teche-Vermilion Basin

Atchafalaya Basin

Terrebonne Basin

Barataria Basin

Mississippi River

Delta Basin

Breton Sound Basin

Pontchartrain Basin

Coastwide/

Demonstration

Benefits to Fish

and Wildlife

CWPPRA Supports 

Coastal Resiliency 

Conclusion

References

Appendices

Documentation

Acknowledgements

The Louisiana CWPPRA Task Force wishes to thank Governor of Louisiana John Bel 

Edwards, the Louisiana Legislature, the Federal Louisiana Delegation, and the U.S. 

Congress for their support of this crucial program.

This report is submitted by the Task Force in accordance with CWPPRA, Title III of 

Public Law 101–646. This report fulfills the CWPPRA mandate, which requires a 

report to the U.S. Congress every 3 years on the effectiveness of Louisiana’s coastal 

wetland restoration projects.

Table of Contents

3

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

The Des Allemands project is the first swamp restoration constructed under CWPPRA. 

By improving the hydrology and reconnecting the degraded swamp to the bayou, 

swamp vegetation is recovering.

EPA

19
Coastal Louisiana Land Loss
3 The 2018 Evaluation Report to the U.S. Congress on the 

Effectiveness of Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection 

and Restoration Act Projects

Louisiana’s coastal zone is home to approximately 37 

percent of all coastal marshes and 45 percent of all intertidal coastal 

marshes in the lower 48 States, but annually, Louisiana is losing 80 

percent of the entire nation’s coastal wetlands. Since the 1930s, coastal 

Louisiana has lost more than 1860 square miles (1.2 million acres), an area 

more than 25 times larger than Washington, D.C (Couvillion et al, 2017). 

The dire need to restore and protect Louisiana’s coastal wetlands has 

been clearly established and our ability to sustain the ecological and 

economic health of the Louisiana coastal zone is largely dependent 

upon coastal restoration and protection activities. Louisiana’s wetlands 

provide a variety of benefits that serve the Nation across an array of 

economic sectors. Because of these benefits, the coastal wetland 

loss crisis in Louisiana is considered a matter of national concern.

Congress recognized the ongoing severe coastal wetland losses in 

Louisiana and the increasing impacts on locally, regionally, and nationally 

important resources when it established the Coastal Wetlands Planning, 

Protection, and Restoration Act (CWPPRA) in 1990 (Public Law 101-646, 

Title III). As part of CWPPRA, Congress established and directed the 

Louisiana Coastal Wetland Conservation and Restoration Task Force (Task 

Force) to prepare, annually update, and implement a list of Louisiana 

coastal wetland restoration projects. Consistent with Louisiana’s 

Comprehensive Coastal Master Plan, which charts Louisiana’s coastal 

restoration for the next 50 years, these projects provide for the long-term 

conservation of wetlands and dependent fish and wildlife populations. 

Between 1990 and 2018, CWPPRA has constructed, or funded for 

construction, projects to protect and restore more than 90,000 net acres 

(140 square miles) of Louisiana’s coastal wetlands. As of October 2018, 

112 projects have been constructed, 15 are currently under construction, 

and 26 are in engineering and design. Between 2016 and 2018, the 

CWPPRA Task Force approved 13 new projects for Phase 1 - Engineering 

and Design. During that same period, the Task Force authorized 7 

projects for Phase 2-Construction, which are expected to result in 1,737 

net acres of wetlands. Several projects have also completed construction 

during that time frame, restoring and creating a total of 2,130 net acres 

of wetlands (Table 1, page 4). CWPPRA projects are typically planned 

and designed for a 20-year lifespan following construction completion. 

During that timeframe, the project will be operated and maintained 

to ensure effectiveness and overall success, and will be monitored 

for environmental parameters such as land change and emergent 

vegetation and inform future operation and maintenance activities. 

Introduction

CWPPRA monitoring data provide vital information to evaluate 

not only the CWPPRA projects but also other restoration programs 

and the state of the coast in general. The monitoring data collected 

through the CWPPRA program are used to select, prioritize, and 

design nearly all coastal restoration projects. Since 2007, the 

Coastwide Reference Monitoring System (CRMS), primarily funded by 

CWPPRA and the State of Louisiana, has provided 

critical baseline ecological data to inform 

coastal restoration and disaster response

activities throughout Louisiana’s four ecological regions. These 

regions cover nine hydrologic basins: Calcasieu-Sabine, Mermentau, 

Teche-Vermilion, Atchafalaya, Terrebonne, Barataria, Mississippi 

River Delta, Breton Sound, and Pontchartrain. The following 

sections provide net acres benefitted* and an example of a constructed 

project in each of these basins, demonstrating the effectiveness of 

CWPPRA to address land loss in Louisiana’s coastal wetlands. 

2016 Statistics, NOAA Fisheries, Fisheries Statistics Division 

*It is important to distinguish between WVA acres of benefit, which can include multiple types of benefit, and reported land area benefit acreages. The land change dynamics acreage numbers for each basin 

in this report are derived from a comparison between pre-construction and post-construction land change rates assessed via satellite imagery. 
4 The 2018 Evaluation Report to the U.S. Congress on the 

Effectiveness of Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection 

and Restoration Act Projects

The CWPPRA Environmental Work Group uses Wetland Value Assessments to analyze and determine potential benefit acres for a CWPPRA project over the length of its 20-year lifespan.
5 The 2018 Evaluation Report to the U.S. Congress on the 

Effectiveness of Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection 

and Restoration Act Projects

CALCASIEU-SABINE BASIN

Land Change Dynamics

The Calcasieu-Sabine Basin is located in the southwest Louisiana 

coastal zone, from Texas eastward to Grand Lake. It contains vast 

expanses of coastal marshes spanning from saline to freshwater 

environments. Major waterbodies include Calcasieu and 

Sabine Lakes, Calcasieu Ship Channel, and the Gulf Intracoastal 

Waterway (GIWW).

The Calcasieu-Sabine Basin experienced the highest rates of 

wetland loss prior to the 1970s (average -2,348 acres/yr, -9.5 km2

/

yr); however, rates have slowly decreased since that time, except for 

hurricane-induced losses in 2005 and 2008. Rates of wetland loss 

have ranged from a net loss of 2,470 acres/yr (~10 km2

/yr) at the 

peak of wetland loss rates, to an estimate of 494 acres/yr (~2 km2

/

yr) most recently (Couvillion et al. 2017). The major causes of land 

loss in this basin are saltwater intrusion, subsidence, and storms.

In the Calcasieu-Sabine Basin, constructed marsh creation and 

shoreline protection features, similar to the project highlighted 

below, have contributed approximately 3,700 acres (15.2 km2

) of 

net land area benefit, either from new land built or land sustained 

from project inception through 2018.

Perry Ridge Shore Protection 

(CS-24) Project 

Constructed: February 1999

The CS-24 project extends along the north bank of the 

Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW) from Perry Ridge to 

the Vinton Drainage Canal. Marsh loss near Perry Ridge 

has been caused by water level fluctuations and tidal 

scour resulting from water exchange through breaches 

in the northern spoil bank of the GIWW. Approximately 

23,300 linear ft of rock dike was constructed as a shoreline 

protection feature to protect the existing emergent 

wetlands and prevent further deterioration from shoreline 

erosion and tidal scour. In addition to benefits of shoreline 

protection, a secondary objective was to reduce the 

occurrence of salinity spikes within the project area. 

Pre- and post-construction land/water analysis showed 

a 5% (i.e., 306.5 acre) increase in land area after project 

implementation and is directly attributable to the project 

features reversing shoreline erosion and reducing the 

tidal export of material from the interior wetlands. The 

post construction land to water ratio indicates expansion 

of the interior marsh behind the protected shoreline.

Overall from 1999-2016, the project shoreline has gained 2 ft/yr while the reference area has lost 2 ft/year (Mouledous et al. 2017). CRMS salinity data 

indicate that project features effectively reduced high salinity waters from entering the project area. In recent droughts, average monthly salinity at 

CRMS0697 was 5 parts per thousand (ppt) less than at stations outside of the project boundary south of the GIWW.

Fig. B: Salinity at project site CRMS0697 and two reference stations.

$114.5 Million Expended

20 Projects Constructed

3 Projects in Engineering & Design

4 Projects in Construction

Figures current as of 2018

Fig. A. Land area change rate vs. time in Calcasieu Sabine Basin. See Appendix 3.

Land Area Change Rate In Square Kilometers Per Year
6 The 2018 Evaluation Report to the U.S. Congress on the 

Effectiveness of Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection 

and Restoration Act Projects

MERMENTAU BASIN

The Mermentau Basin is located in the eastern portion of the Chenier Plain in Cameron 

and Vermilion Parishes. The Mermentau Basin can be divided into two sub-basins. 

The Lakes sub-basin is delineated by the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway to the north and 

Louisiana Highway 82 to the south. Highway 82 runs atop and between the Grand 

Chenier-Pecan Island ridge complex. The Chenier sub-basin lies between this ridge 

complex and the Gulf of Mexico. About 18 percent (128,200 acres) of the basin lands 

are publicly owned as Federal and State refuges and State wildlife management areas 

(Mouledous and Sharp 2016).

In terms of total area, the Mermentau Basin experienced approximately 120,000 

acres of wetland loss from 1932 to 2016 and a change rate averaging -1,470 acres/

year (Couvillion et al. 2017). The two sub-basins suffer from distinctly different 

hydrologic problems. The most critical wetland problem in the Lakes sub-basin is 

excessive flooding due to numerous blockages of drainage outlets that increase water 

levels and prolonged flooding. The higher water levels may also be responsible for 

shoreline erosion in this area (Mouledous and Sharp 2016). The same blockages to the north also reduce freshwater inputs into the Chenier sub-basin 

in the south, facilitating saltwater intrusion.

Shoreline protection features, like those in the project highlighted below, have effectively reduced or halted shoreline erosion in their project locations. 

Shoreline protection and terracing projects in Mermentau Basin have contributed to approximately 985 acres (4.0 km2

) of net land area benefit via 

new land restored or land sustained from project inception through 2018. 

Land Change Dynamics

$67.9 Million Expended

1 Project in Construction

10 Projects Constructed

2 Projects in Engineering & Design

Fig. C. CWPPRA Projects in the Mermentau Basin. See Appendix 4. 

The ME-22 project is located along the 

southern shoreline of White Lake from Will’s 

Point to the western shore of Bear Lake 

in Vermilion Parish, Louisiana. The south 

shoreline of White Lake has been retreating 

at an estimated average rate of 15 feet per 

year as a result of wind-induced wave energy. 

If the shoreline would have continued eroding 

in the project area, low marsh management 

levees likely would have been breached, 

which would have increased interior marsh 

loss rates in the project area.

Approximately 61,500 linear feet of segmented 

breakwaters, using an estimated 270,000 tons 

of stone, were constructed to protect 687 

acres of shoreline and interior marsh. The foreshore dike includes gaps every 1,000 feet, as well as gaps at pipeline crossings and navigation 

crossings. Additionally, material dredged to create a flotation channel was placed beneficially behind the breakwaters to create approximately 172 

acres of marsh substrate.

The South White Lake Shoreline Protection project is in very good condition overall and functioning as designed. Aerial imagery suggests that 

the shoreline erosion rate of the project area has dramatically decreased, and is showing many indications of progradation and emergent marsh 

forming behind the constructed rock dike segments. Some low areas in the dike were noticed during previous inspections from initial settling during 

construction but has since stabilized, and is fully functional in these areas. 

South White Lake Shoreline 

Protection (ME-22) 

Constructed: August 2006 

Figure D. Photograph of a section of ME-22 taken in 2016 

Figures current as of 2018

USGS

USACE
7 The 2018 Evaluation Report to the U.S. Congress on the 

Effectiveness of Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection 

and Restoration Act Projects

TECHE-VERMILION BASIN

Land Change Dynamics

The Teche-Vermilion Basin, located in the central Louisiana coast, contains 

roughly 300,000 acres (1,214.1 km2

) of wetlands. Much of the basin is 

occupied by three large bays: East Cote Blanche Bay, West Cote Blanche 

Bay, and Vermilion Bay. Marsh Island is an important hydrologic feature 

because it separates these bays from saltier Gulf of Mexico water. 

Therefore, marshes in this basin are primarily fresh, intermediate, and 

brackish with relatively few salt marshes.

The Teche-Vermilion Basin experienced one of the smaller net wetland 

area losses of the nine coastal basins with approximately 36,800 acres 

(149.0 km2

) lost between 1932 and 2016 (Couvillion et al. 2017). Factors 

affecting wetland change in this basin include shoreline erosion, change 

in hydrologic conditions, storm impacts, and herbivory. Teche-Vermilion 

Basin follows a similar pattern to that of the coastwide trend of loss rates 

increasing to a peak in the late 1970s, followed by a reduction in loss rates 

since that time. The latest analyses indicate the wetland area change rate 

in Teche/Vermilion has been positive in recent years. 

Terracing, hydrologic restoration, marsh creation, and shoreline protection 

projects have had positive impacts on the landscape of the Teche-Vermillion Basin. Excluding hydrologic restorations, CWPPRA projects in this 

basin have collectively contributed approximately 300 acres (1.2 km2

) of net land area benefit via new land built or land sustained from project 

inception through 2018. 

Sediment Trapping at 

“The Jaws” (TV-15) 

Constructed: December 2004

The TV-15 project is located in the 

northeastern corner of West Cote Blanche 

Bay in St. Mary Parish near the intersection 

of the Charenton Drainage Canal and 

Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW). 

Continuous wind and wave energy in the 

Bay prevents sediments from the GIWW 

from settling to build marsh. Shoreline 

erosion rates near the project site are 15 

ft/yr. The project features include 40,100 

linear feet of earthen terraces, conveyance 

channels, and vegetative plantings. The 

terraces reduce wind-blown waves (fetch), 

currents, and turbidity while inducing 

sediment deposition.

In order to minimize erosive energies, the terrace slopes were planted with approximately 38,500 California bulrush and giant cutgrass plants. The 

plantings were designed to reduce shoreline erosion, further enhance sediment deposition, and stabilize newly placed sediment. This resulted in the 

creation of mud flats and submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) beds in formerly open water areas. By the 2018 annual inspection, the plant community 

was well established, expanding to fill some of the space between terraces.

Pre- and post-construction land/water analysis shows an 800 acre (20% increase) in mud flats and SAV beds between the terraces (Aucoin et 

al. 2012). Overall, the project has created an effective sediment trap and shoreline erosion protection complex and is expected to maintain this 

function throughout the project life.

$48.8 Million Expended

1 Project in Construction

11 Projects Constructed

Figures current as of 2018

CPRA

Fig. E. Land Area Change Rate vs. Time in Teche-Vermilion Basin. See Appendix 4.

Fig. F. 2005 post construction site. Fig. G. 2008 post construction site.Land Area Change Rate In Square Kilometers Per Year
8 The 2018 Evaluation Report to the U.S. Congress on the 

Effectiveness of Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection 

and Restoration Act Projects

ATCHAFALAYA BASIN

The Atchafalaya Basin is located in the central part of the coastal zone, 

west of the Terrebonne Basin. Major water features in the basin include 

the Lower Atchafalaya River, Wax Lake Outlet, and Atchafalaya Bay. 

Previous Mississippi River delta complexes formed the majority of the 

land within the Atchafalaya Basin. Subaerial delta growth in Atchafalaya 

Bay began in the early 1970s.

The Atchafalaya Basin is unique among the coastal basins because 

it has a growing delta system with nearly stable wetlands. Wetland 

loss is minor in the areas north of Atchafalaya Bay when compared 

to the other basins. According to Couvillion et al. (2017), the basin 

experienced more than 4,000 acres (16.2 km2

) net wetland gain since 

1932. Annual land change rates early in the study period showed a 

negative trajectory. However, following the opening of the Wax 

Lake Outlet in 1942, sediment deposition increased, and a subaerial 

active delta emerged after the flood of 1973. These factors positively 

influenced the Atchafalaya Basin’s land change rates. 

The two CWPPRA projects in this basin (AT-02 and AT-03) have contributed 

approximately 1,375 acres (5.6 km2

) of wetlands to the area collectively 

via new land built or land sustained from project inception through 2018.

Land Change Dynamics

$10.8 Million Expended 2 Projects Constructed

Fig. H. Land Area Change Rate vs. Time In Atchafalaya Basin. See Appendix 4.

Big Island, located within the Louisiana 

Department of Wildlife and Fisheries 

administered Atchafalaya Delta Wildlife 

Management Area, was constructed 

during a period from 1974-1987 as 

a dredged material island with the 

expansion of the Lower Atchafalaya River Bay and Bar navigation channel. The island extends 

for 2 miles along the western delta, the largest dredged material spoil area constructed in 

the Atchafalaya Delta. The creation of Big Island impedes fluvial discharge to the western 

Atchafalaya Delta due to its size, elevation, and location. 

In order to improve sediment delivery, 

channels mimicking the natural features of delta 

lobes were constructed at depths of 10 feet. 

Material from the channel construction was 

placed into five disposal areas creating mud flats, 

submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) beds, and 

fresh marsh in formerly open water areas. 

The Big Island Mining (AT-03) project enhanced 

sediment transport and Delta growth in the northwestern Atchafalaya Delta by construction of a distributary network of channels and dredged material islands. 

Big Island Mining was successful in creating 703 acres of emergent marsh as of Fall 2016 and increasing the rate of wetlands growth in the project 

area during the 18-year post-construction period (Fig J). The wetland growth rate from 1998-2016 were calculated at 13 acres/year, exceeding the 

pre-construction growth rates estimates of 3-4 acres/year from 1956-1978 (Curole et al. 2018).

The Big Island Mining (AT-03) 

Constructed: October 1998

Fig. I. 2009 project site after construction.

Figures current as of 2018

Fig. J. Habitat classification mapping of project site USGS and others

CPRA

Land Area Change Rate In Square Kilometers Per Year
9 The 2018 Evaluation Report to the U.S. Congress on the 

Effectiveness of Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection 

and Restoration Act Projects

TERREBONNE BASIN

Land Change Dynamics

The Terrebonne Basin is an abandoned delta complex, consisting 

of marshes and a network of old distributary ridges extending 

southward from Houma. It is characterized by a thick section of 

unconsolidated sediments that are undergoing dewatering and 

compaction, contributing to high subsidence. The southern end of 

the basin is defined by a series of narrow, low-lying barrier islands. 

The Terrebonne Basin supports about 155,000 acres (627.3 km2

) of 

swamp and almost 574,000 acres (2,322.9 km2

) of marsh. 

The Terrebonne Basin has experienced the greatest decrease in 

wetland area with approximately 321,730 acres (1,302.0 km2

) of 

net loss since 1932 (Couvillion et al. 2017). The basin experienced 

higher annual change rates in the late 1970s-early 1980s similar to 

coastwide trends, with gradually decreasing loss rates since that 

time. Land loss in the Terrebonne Basin is attributed to subsidence, 

sediment deficit, saltwater intrusion along navigation canals, historic 

oil and gas activity, habitat switching due to prolong high water levels 

(swamp/fresh marshes) and natural deterioration of barrier islands.

Restoration activities in the Terrebonne Basin include marsh 

creation, shoreline protection, hydrologic restoration and barrier 

island restoration. Excluding hydrologic restoration, CWPPRA projects in the Terrebonne Basin have collectively contributed approximately 2,500 

acres (10.1 km2

) of net land area benefit via new land built or land sustained from project inception through 2018.

Timbalier Island Dune and 

Marsh Creation (TE-40) 

Constructed: December 2004

The TE-40 project used sediment from the Gulf of Mexico 

to restore 2.2 miles of the beach rim and dune system and 

create a marsh platform on the bay side of the Timbalier 

Island. Approximately 4.6 million cubic yards of material 

was dredged from the Little Pass, and over 110,000 

container grown plants consisting of eight species were 

initially planted. This project was constructed in summer 

2005 prior to the devastating impacts of Hurricanes Katrina 

and Rita. While the impacts to Timbalier Island appeared 

to be initially significant, the photograph taken 14 months 

after the hurricanes shows the resilience of the project 

after tidal forces reworked the sediment. 

The western shorelines of Timbalier Island maintained their 

position during this intense period of hurricane activity 

while the eastern shorelines transgressed. Therefore, a 

considerable volume of sediment from the TE-40 restoration 

area was retained in the Timbalier Island sediment budget 

since the western portion of the island seems to have been 

nourished in the post-construction period. Elevation and 

subaerial habitats are declining in the TE-40 restoration area 

principally due to the magnitude and frequency of tropical 

storm activity in the vicinity of the project (CPRA, TE-40 2011 

Inspection Report).

$264.7 Million Expended

24 Projects Constructed

4 Projects in Engineering & Design 

1 Project in Construction

Figures current as of 2018

Fig. L. (top to bottom) post constuction, post hurricanes Katrina and Rita, current.

EPA

Fig. K. Land Area Change Rate vs. Time in Terrebonne Basin. See Appendix 4.

Land Area Change Rate In Square Kilometers Per Year
10 The 2018 Evaluation Report to the U.S. Congress on the 

Effectiveness of Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection 

and Restoration Act Projects

BARATARIA BASIN

The Barataria Basin is located south-southwest of New Orleans. 

It contains vast expanses of forested and herbaceous wetlands 

spanning from saline to freshwater environments. 

The Barataria Basin has experienced the second greatest land 

loss of the nine coastal Louisiana basins, with a net loss of 

approximately 277,000 acres (1,121.0 km2

) of wetlands since 

1932. Rates of wetland loss have ranged from a net loss of 

approximately 6,178 acres/year (25.0 km2

/year) at the peak 

of wetland loss rates, to a loss of 210 acres/year (0.8 km2

/

year) most recently (Couvillion et al. 2017). Wetland loss 

within the Basin is attributed to a combination of natural and 

anthropogenically-influenced factors including sea level rise 

(SLR), subsidence, shoreline erosion, herbivory, and human 

development such as channelization and levee construction. 

Excluding hydrologic restoration, CWPPRA projects have 

collectively contributed to approximately 5,600 acres (22.7 km2

) 

of net land area benefit via new land built or land sustained from 

project inception through 2018.

Land Change Dynamics

The BA-39 project was the first CWPPRA project to use pipeline 

transport of sediment from the river to build marsh. The project 

involved dredging sediment from the Mississippi River for marsh 

creation and then pumping it via pipeline into an area of open 

water and broken marsh in a rapidly eroding and subsiding 

section of the Barataria landbridge. The BA-39 project includes 

approximately 568 acres of marsh fill hydraulically dredged and 

transported 5 miles from the Mississippi River and 32,176 linear 

feet (6.1 miles) of containment dikes. 

A recent inspection revealed that the containment dikes and marsh 

creation areas are performing as designed. The inspected project areas 

were all heavily vegetated and the gaps along the project perimeter 

appear to be allowing tidal exchange in their immediate areas. The 

predicted elevation for the project area by year 5 (2014) was +1.4 feet, 

but the majority of the project area (≥ 84.3%) was surveyed at a higher 

elevation, with the highest percentage of acres (53.9%) between +1.5 

feet and +2.0 feet. Higher elevation can be expected due to the higher 

initial fill and significant sediment deposition from Hurricane Isaac 

(CPRA, BA-39 2016 Inspection Report).

Since the construction of BA-39, three additional marsh creation 

projects that used river sediment have been completed within four 

miles of the project area including: the Bayou Dupont Marsh and 

Ridge Creation project (BA-48) (2015), the Long-Distance Sediment 

Pipeline (BA-43-EB) (2015) project, and, the Bayou Dupont Sediment 

Delivery Marsh Creation #3 (BA-164) (2017) project. 

Mississippi River Sediment Delivery 

System Bayou Dupont (BA-39) Project 

Constructed: May 2010

$427.4 Million Expended

21 Projects Constructed

6 Projects in Engineering & Design

4 Projects in Construction

Fig. N. BA-39 Project Area.

EPA

Figures current as of 2018

Fig. M. Land Area Change Rate vs. Time In Barataria Basin. See Appendix 4.

Land Area Change Rate In Square Kilometers Per Year
11 The 2018 Evaluation Report to the U.S. Congress on the 

Effectiveness of Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection 

and Restoration Act Projects

MISSISSIPPI RIVER DELTA

Land Change Dynamics

The Mississippi River Delta Basin is located in the southeast of Louisiana’s 

coastal zone on the edge of the Gulf of Mexico’s continental shelf. Its 

bird’s foot configuration is characteristic of alluvial deposition in deep 

water. In this configuration, large volumes of sediment are required to 

create land area; consequently, land is being lost in this delta more rapidly 

than it is being created. However, the basin contains expanses of fresh 

and intermediate marshes. Major waterbodies include the mainstem 

Mississippi River, South Pass, and Pass-a-Loutre, all of which are directly 

connected to the Gulf of Mexico.

Similar to other hydrologic basins, the Mississippi River Basin has experienced 

a net decrease in wetland area from 1932 to 2016. The total wetland area 

of the basin has decreased by 92,665 acres (375.0 km2

). As a percentage of 

the 1932 area, the basin has experienced the greatest percentage decrease 

in wetland area of approximately -55 percent of total area (Couvillion et 

al. 2017). The Mississippi River Delta Basin has experienced a reduction 

in wetland loss rate since the 1960s, reaching a point of wetland gain for 

portions of the 1990s, only to be followed by a negative trend due to the 

effects of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 (Barras, 2006). The major causes of land 

loss in this basin are subsidence and compaction. Unlike other areas of coastal 

Louisiana, the Mississippi River Delta has a relative abundance of inflowing fresh water and sediments. Despite the availability of these resources, the overall 

growth of emergent delta has been truncated. In the present position, the Mississippi River deposits sediments into much deeper water than has been the 

case historically. These unconsolidated sediments are highly susceptible to compaction, reducing the life span of emergent wetlands. 

This basin contains three hydrologic restoration/sediment diversion projects, the effects of which are difficult to determine, particularly because of the negative 

effects of Hurricane Katrina. Excluding hurricane effects, restoration projects in the Mississippi River Delta Basin are thought to have contributed to an estimate 

of approximately 1,300 acres (5.3 km2

) of net land area benefitted collectively via new land built or land sustained from project inception through 2018.

West Bay Sediment Diversion 

(MR-03) 

Constructed: November 2003

The MR-03 project was the first major diversion project 

constructed off the Mississippi River in Louisiana. The 

project features a crevasse on the right descending bank 

of the main Mississippi River channel, at mile 4.7 above 

Head of Passes (AHP), a conveyance channel, and a 

number of beneficial-use areas for dredge material from 

Pilottown Anchorage and USACE maintenance dredging 

operations. The project outfall area is a large, shallow, 

open-ended receiving basin. The uncontrolled diversion, 

with a designed capacity of 50,000 cubic feet per second 

(cfs), was constructed in November 2003 to promote the 

creation of a subdelta and formation of emergent marsh 

by redirecting and capturing sediments from the river. 

While the land/water analysis does not reflect 

significant land gain via the crevasse or other natural 

processes as of the latest photography, the strategic 

placement of material throughout the basin aids in the 

retention of sediments delivered through the crevasse, and increases in the land/water ratio are expected in the future. Volumetric analyses 

derived from surveys and elevation data indicate a current sedimentation rate of more than 3 million cubic yards per year (2011-2015), and 

a considerable decrease in overall depth of the project area (USACE Spatial Analysis 2016). The increased sedimentation rates, paired with 

continued sediment retention via material from beneficial use events, suggests future potential for sub-aerial land gain. It is also expected that 

years of higher river/increased flow will continue to have a positive impact on the rate of deposition in the receiving basin. 

$264.7 Million Expended 4 Projects Constructed

Figures current as of 2018

Fig. P. West Bay Diversion 2016.

USACE

Fig. O. Land Area Change Rate vs. Time In The Mississippi River Delta. See Appendix 4. Land Area Change Rate In Square Kilometers Per Year
12 The 2018 Evaluation Report to the U.S. Congress on the 

Effectiveness of Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection 

and Restoration Act Projects

BRETON SOUND BASIN

The Breton Sound Basin is located in the southeast of Louisiana’s 

coastal zone, east of New Orleans. It contains vast expanses of 

coastal marshes spanning from saline to freshwater environments. 

Major waterbodies include Breton Sound, the Mississippi River, 

Bayou Terre aux Boeufs, and Lake Lery. The southern portion of 

the basin is directly connected to the Gulf of Mexico.

The Breton Sound Basin experienced a net decrease of 105,267 

acres (426.0 km2

) in wetland area from 1932 to 2016. In the basin, 

loss rates have increased since the late 1970s, but in recent years 

the rate of land loss has decreased. The major causes of land loss 

in this basin are sediment deprivation, saltwater intrusion, and 

shoreline erosion. 

Hurricane Katrina, 2005, was a major source of land loss in the 

basin. However, excluding those hurricane effects, CWPPRA 

marsh creation and terracing projects have contributed to an 

estimated net land area benefit of approximately 380 acres (1.5 

km2

) either from new land built or land sustained, from project 

inception through 2018.

Land Change Dynamics

Fig. Q. Land Area Change Rate vs. Time In The Breton Sound Basin. See Appendix 4.

The BS-11 project is located on the eastern 

bank of the Mississippi River at River 

Mile 19.5 near the historical site of Fort 

St. Philip. Subsidence, storms, sediment 

deprivation, and shoreline erosion are all 

causes of marsh loss in the project area. A 

study of historic loss within the mapping 

unit containing the BS-11 project revealed 

that land acreage showed a net decrease by 

58% from 1956 to 2008 (Suir et al. 2014). 

The 1998 to 2008 period, which included 

BS-11 construction, was the only period of 

analysis that experienced net land gains 

(18%).The project objective is to enhance 

natural marsh-building processes by utilizing 

crevasses and earthen terraces. Six crevasses 

were dredged to promote freshwater and 

sediment input from the Mississippi River. In addition, 98 earthen terraces (19,600 linear feet) were constructed in a large open water area 

to create habitat and promote sediment accretion within a crevasse receiving area (Figure B).

The last evaluation of project performance was in 2012 (Hymel and Breaux 2012). Five years after construction, the project appeared to be capturing 

sediment and building land, although initial land gain was less than originally anticipated. As typically seen with crevasse projects, much of the sedimentation 

was subaqueous in years 1 to 5 within the open water receiving areas and sediment elevation was approaching subaerial levels by year 5. From 2002 to 

2011, the project area experienced a net gain of 90 acres. The majority of land gain was due to terrace construction and spoil deposits built with dredged 

material from crevasse construction. Although the reference areas experienced greater land gain, reference Area 1 receives significant sediment input 

via a canal directly connected to the Mississippi River. 

Delta Management at 

Fort St. Philip (BS-11) 

Constructed: December 2006

$35.3 Million Expended

2 Projects Constructed

2 Projects in Engineering & Design

1 Projects in Construction

Figures current as of 2018

Fig. R. BS-11 project features and reference areas.

Land Area Change Rate In Square Kilometers Per Year
13 The 2018 Evaluation Report to the U.S. Congress on the 

Effectiveness of Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection 

and Restoration Act Projects

PONTCHARTRAIN BASIN

Goose Point/Point Platte Marsh 

Creation (PO-33) Project 

Constructed: February 2009

The PO-33 project extends along the northern shoreline of Lake 

Pontchartrain on the Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge. 

Marsh loss has been attributed to interior ponding, saltwater 

intrusion, and shoreline erosion. Project objectives are to replace 

eroded marsh, nourish existing marsh, and prevent breaching of 

the lake rim shoreline. To accomplish those objectives, sediment 

was hydraulically dredged in Lake Pontchartrain and pumped 

into five cells to create 417 acres of marsh. In addition to creating 

marsh within the fill cells, approximately 195 acres outside the 

fill cells benefited from marsh nourishment.

Based on a 2014 elevation survey, the marsh creation 

cells averaged 1.34 feet high which slightly exceeds the 

pre-construction target of 1.08 feet and exceeds elevations 

at three CRMS sites in the project vicinity (Gossman and 

Prendergast 2014). Within the marsh creation cells, the 2012 

land-water analysis indicates 359 acres of land and 67 acres of 

water. Although the project goal of 417 acres of marsh creation 

was not met within the fill cells, marsh created outside of the 

fill cells and continued vegetative growth within the fill cells 

should result in achievement of project goals. 

Fig. T. Goose Point/Point Platte vegetated growth within one of the fill cells, September 2009.

Land Change Dynamics

The Pontchartrain Basin is an abandoned delta bordered by the 

Pleistocene Terrace on the north and west, Mississippi River on 

the south and the Chandeleur Islands on the east. Three major 

lakes, Maurepas, Pontchartrain, and Borgne cover approximately 

55% of the basin and are separated by associated land bridges. 

Pontchartrain Basin has substantial areas of forested wetlands 

surrounding Lake Maurepas and a gradient of fresh, intermediate, 

brackish, and saline marshes from west to east towards the Gulf 

of Mexico.

The basin includes portions of nine parishes: Ascension, St. James, 

St. John the Baptist, St. Charles, Jefferson, Orleans, St. Bernard, St. 

Tammany, and Livingston. The city of New Orleans is located within 

the basin adjacent to the southern shore of Lake Pontchartrain.

The Pontchartrain Basin has experienced approximately 116,634 

acres (472.0 km2

) of net wetland loss since 1932 (Couvillion et al. 

2017). The rate of land change in the Pontchartrain Basin did not 

change significantly from 1932 to 2016. Wetland loss in this basin 

is attributed to limited riverine input, erosion, and deteriorating 

land bridges on the east and west sides of Lake Pontchartrain. 

Restoration activities in the Pontchartrain Basin include marsh 

creation, shoreline protection, hydrologic restoration and barrier 

island restoration. Excluding hydrologic restoration projects, CWPPRA projects in the Pontchartrain Basin have contributed approximately 1,125 acres (4.6 

km2

) of net land area benefit to the landscape collectively via new land built or land sustained from project inception through 2018.

Fig. S. CWPPRA Projects in the Pontchartrain Basin. See Appendix 4.

$67.9 Million Expended

1 Project in Construction

7 Projects in Engineering & Design

10 Projects Constructed FWS

USGS

Figures current as of 2018
14 The 2018 Evaluation Report to the U.S. Congress on the 

Effectiveness of Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection 

and Restoration Act Projects

COASTWIDE/DEMONSTRATION 

As part of the CWPPRA process, proven technologies in coastal restoration can be applied 

as projects across the entire coast. The benefits of marsh plantings in restoration have 

long been recognized and hurricane events have exposed a need to have a mechanism 

in place where large-scale planting efforts can be deployed in a timely manner to 

specifically targeted areas of need, anywhere along the coast. This is a goal of LA-39 

Coastwide Vegetative Plantings. 

The LA-39 project has facilitated a consistent and responsive planting effort in coastal 

Louisiana that is flexible enough to routinely plant on a large scale and be able to 

rapidly respond to critical areas of need following storms or other damaging events. The 

LA-39 project provides an annual mechanism for nominating, screening, and selecting 

restoration planting sites; a site can be selected, planned, contracted, and planted 

within 1-2 years.

Through six years, the project has installed over 450,000 plants among 22 sites. Almost 

half of those plants were California bulrush, which has good survivability across a variety 

of water depths and soil conditions. For example, the Prairie planting site, located in the 

Manchac Wildlife Management Area in St. John the Baptist Parish, received about 13,000 

California bulrush plants in March 2014 and has experienced nearly 100% survival; the 

pictured plantings have expanded to cover about 90% of the area which was all open 

water prior to planting.

Fig. U. June 2015 and 

January 2018 LA-39 

Prairie planting site.

The CWPPRA Program encourages 

the use of new technology in coastal 

restoration across the coast. The 

Enhancement of Barrier Island 

Vegetation Demonstration (TE-53) 

project yielded several clear and 

important findings relevant to 

barrier island restoration. Restoring 

Louisiana’s offshore barrier islands is 

more than dredging and placing sand. 

The islands provide critical habitat 

and are the first line of defense to not 

only day-to-day coastal erosion but 

also to the destructive forces of major 

storm events. These critical habitats 

need vegetation, and planting native 

plants is a major part of restoration 

projects. The purpose of the TE-53 

demonstration project was to test 

several technologies and products to 

enhance the cost-effective establishment and growth of key barrier island and salt marsh vegetation. In addition to a greenhouse study, project 

components included a field investigation of planting density, fertilizer regime, and humic acid amendment in dune and swale environments. The 

project underscored the importance of incorporating flexibility in barrier island planting schedules to optimize initial survival and subsequent 

growth enhancing amendments that may increase plant vigor and expansion. 

Figure V. Greenhouse study.

Coastwide Vegetative Plantings (LA-39) 

Approved: 2011

COASTWIDE

Enhancement of Barrier Island Vegetation 

Demonstration (TE-53) 

Approved: 2006

DEMONSTRATION

Figure W. Different treatment areas.

NRCS NRCS

EPA

EPA
15 The 2018 Evaluation Report to the U.S. Congress on the 

Effectiveness of Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection 

and Restoration Act Projects

CWPPRA Benefits to Fish and Wildlife

Benefits Analyses developed by the CWPPRA Environmental Work 

Group estimate that 90,664 acres of protected and created coastal 

wetlands can be attributed to CWPPRA in its first 28 years. Those 

restored swamps, marshes, and barrier islands/headlands and 

associated open-water habitats provide foraging, nesting, breeding, 

wintering, refuge, and nursery habitat for a myriad of coastal fish 

and wildlife. This includes threatened and endangered, at-risk, and 

rare species, as well as commercially and recreationally valuable 

species, and State and national fish and wildlife trust resources.

Habitats restored through CWPPRA have aided in the delisting of our 

national symbol, the bald eagle, and the Louisiana State bird, the brown 

pelican, from the endangered species list. Located along the Mississippi 

and Central Flyways, coastal Louisiana provides wintering habitat for 

more than 5 million waterfowl and habitat for Neotropical migrant birds. 

Appendix 2 lists some of the threatened, and endangered, and at-risk/rare 

species found in the Louisiana coastal zone. The appendix also contains 

the waterfowl, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and commercially 

and recreationally important fisheries benefited by CWPPRA projects. 

Many economically important saltwater fishes and crustaceans 

spawn in nearshore and offshore waters of the Gulf of Mexico (e.g., 

blue crab, red drum, Gulf menhaden, Atlantic croaker, shrimp, and 

spotted seatrout) but postlarvae and juveniles depend on natural 

and restored estuarine habitats in Louisiana for foraging and nursery 

areas. The estuarine-dependent postlarval (larval or smaller may be 

better than “postlarval”) and juvenile fisheries species contribute 

to the estuarine food web and some serve as prey for predators and 

highly migratory species (such as jacks, tuna, billfishes and sharks).

Louisiana’s coastal wetlands also provide habitat for the commercial 

trapping of the American alligator and furbearers (e.g., muskrat, mink, 

and otter) and natural areas for tourist activities such as bird watching, 

boating, swimming, and hiking. 
16 The 2018 Evaluation Report to the U.S. Congress on the 

Effectiveness of Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection 

and Restoration Act Projects

CWPPRA Supports Coastal Resiliency 

Our national economy benefits greatly from Louisiana’s 

coastal wetlands. Economic activity in Louisiana’s 

coastal zone includes oil and gas production, shipping 

commerce, commercial fisheries, oyster production, 

and fur harvesting. This activity accounts for more 

than 450,000 jobs and billions of dollars in revenues 

(CPRA, 2011; Batker and others, 2012). Due to 

wetland loss, however, coastal Louisiana and the 

economic activity it produces is vulnerable to storm 

impacts, subsidence, and sea level rise. The CWPPRA 

Program supports coastal and economic resiliency by 

identifying coastal areas with increasing land loss rates 

and executing land building projects in those areas. 

“Louisiana’s historic and 

strategic location at the 

mouth of the Mississippi 

River, coupled with the Gulf 

Intracoastal Waterway 

and extensive pipeline 

infrastructure, make it the 

#1 export state in the nation. 

The working coast annually 

sends more than $120 billion in 

goods to the rest of the United 

States and exports $36.2 billion 

internationally. The coast also 

supports infrastructure that 

supplies 23% of the nation's 

waterborne commerce 

and 29% (by weight) of the 

continental U.S. commercial 

fisheries landings.”

Weeks Marine, Inc. 

Each year 11,000 vessels use the lower Mississippi River with 500 million tons of cargo transported 

to countries around the world. 60% of the U.S. grain supply is shipped via the lower Mississippi River.

Restoration projects help protect Port Fourchon on the Louisiana coast. This multi-use coastal port 

functions primarily as a land base for multiple offshore oil & gas support service companies. A ninety 

day closure of the port would result in a $7.8 billion gross domestic product reduction nationwide. 

EPA 

Louisiana Coastal Protection 

and Restoration Authority 

2017 Coastal Master Plan

The Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW) is vital to Louisiana industries that utilize it to reach 

channels flowing into the Gulf. Projects such as CWPPRA's GIWW Bank Restoration of Critical Areas 

in Terrebonne (TE-43) stabilized deteriorated channel banks and armored critical lengths with hard 

shoreline stabilization materials. 

CWPPRA 
17 The 2018 Evaluation Report to the U.S. Congress on the 

Effectiveness of Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection 

and Restoration Act Projects

The Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act 

(CWPPRA) Program has been actively rebuilding wetlands and helping 

address coastal land loss for over 28 years. Projects that have rebuilt 

the barrier islands, improved coastal and interior marshes, and 

restored natural hydrologic regimes have all left a lasting mark on 

improving the coastal landscape. 

Capitalizing on CWPPRA’s public planning process, which includes 

local government and citizen contribution to project nomination and 

development, several comprehensive restoration plans have been 

developed and widely accepted. CWPPRA has laid the foundation 

on which subsequent restoration initiatives have been modeled. In 

fact, several projects that have been designed through CWPPRA have 

been adopted and constructed through these other programs and 

initiatives. This type of synergy between funding vehicles supports 

efficiencies in project implementation.

A diverse, interdisciplinary team of academics, scientists, and 

engineers collects and analyzes data from CWPPRA projects 

using the Coastwide Reference Monitoring System (CRMS) 

and project-specific monitoring to evaluate the ecological 

response from within the project footprint to the entire 

ecosystem. This helps guide the program to develop projects 

with a science-driven process. The program supports successful 

restoration while monitoring the success of projects, to produce 

low cost restoration techniques for realistic future application. 

CWPPRA‘s funding source, the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating 

Safety Trust Fund, authorized through October 2020 by the Fixing 

America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act of 2015, is supported by 

excise taxes on fishing equipment, and small engine and motorboat 

fuel taxes. The Fund contributes 18.673 percent of its annual revenues 

to CWPPRA appropriations, 70 percent of which goes to support the 

Louisiana CWPPRA Program. With predictable funding through the 

Federal Sport Fish and Boating Safety Trust Fund and with CWPPRA’s 

experienced interagency team of coastal scientists and engineers, 

CWPPRA is, and will continue to be, uniquely able to quickly construct 

cost-effective priority projects, typically within 3 to 5 years. 

With a project selection process that funnels new projects 

into the planning, engineering and design, and construction 

phases every year, the restoration of coastal Louisiana through 

the CWPPRA Program is only limited by funding. Shovel-ready 

projects are always in the queue and additional funding could 

be executed quickly to advance project implementation. 

Conclusion

Overall, CWPPRA is meeting an otherwise unfilled niche by building 

near-term projects in acute, and often highly strategic, areas of need. 

This continues to be CWPPRA’s greatest asset and contribution to 

turning the tide on Louisiana’s land loss. 

CWPPRA coastal restoration projects make use of dredged sediments to build new land. Sediment is delivered 

via pipeline and then placed within project areas to restore lost wetlands, ridges, marshes or barrier islands. 

EPA
18 The 2018 Evaluation Report to the U.S. Congress on the 

Effectiveness of Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection 

and Restoration Act Projects

References

Aucoin S., Wood, B., and White, J. 2012. 2012 Operations, Maintenance, and 

Monitoring Report for Sediment Trapping at the Jaws (TV-15), Coastal Protection and 

Restoration Authority, Lafayette, Louisiana. 15pp and Appendices. 

Couvillion, B.R., Beck, Holly, Schoolmaster, Donald, and Fischer, Michelle, 2017, 

Land area change in coastal Louisiana 1932 to 2016: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific 

Investigations Map 3381, 16 p. pamphlet, https://doi.org/10.3133/sim3381

Curole, G. P. and B. J. Hartman. 2018. 2018. Operations, Maintenance, and 

Monitoring Report for Big Island Mining (AT-03), Coastal Protection and Restoration 

Authority of Louisiana, Thibodaux, Louisiana. 46 pp. and Appendices.

CWPPRA Environmental Work Group. 2018. CWPPRA Project acres benefited table. 

https://www.lacoast.gov/new/Projects/List.aspx

Fig. F: CPRA LFO, 2005 Aerial CIR, 4-25-2012, Map ID 2012-LFO-004.

Fig G: CPRA LFO, 2008 Aerial CIR, 4-25-2012, Map ID 2012-LFO-005.

Fig I: CPRA, Operations Division, 2005 DOQQ, 11-16-2009, Map ID 2009-TFO-067.

Fig J: USGS, CPRA, NOAA, 2016, DOI: 10.5066/F73T9G58.

Gossman, B. and L. Prendergast 2014. 2014 Operations, Maintenance, and 

Monitoring Report for Goose Point/Point Platte Marsh Creation (PO-33), Coastal 

Protection and Restoration Authority of Louisiana. 28 pp, and Appendices.

https://www.lacoast.gov/new/About/Basin_data/at/Default.aspx

Hymel M. K., K. A. Breaux. 2012. 2012 Operations, Maintenance, and Monitoring 

Report for Delta Management at Fort St. Philip, Coastal Protection and Restoration 

Authority of Louisiana, New Orleans, Louisiana. 55 pp.

Mouledous, M., Wood, B., and Guidry, M. 2017. 2017 Operations, Maintenance, and 

Monitoring Report for Perry Ridge Shore Protection (CS-24), Coastal Protection and 

Restoration Authority, Lafayette, Louisiana. 33pp and Appendices. 

Plitsch, E. M., 2017. 2017 Operations, Maintenance, and Monitoring Report for West 

Bay Sediment Diversion (MR-03), Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, New 

Orleans, Louisiana. 33pp and Appendices. 

Suir, G. M., W. R. Jones, A. L. Garber, and J. A. Barras. 2014. Pictorial Account and 

Landscape Evolution of the Crevasses near Fort St. Philip, Louisiana. MRG&P Report 

No. 2. Vicksburg, MS: US Army Engineer Research and Development Center.

CWPPRA

CWPPRA shoreline protection and restoration projects are engineered to stabilize coastline 

erosion while protecting surrounding at-risk inland areas.

CPRA, 2011, Economic activity/employment statistics relative to coastal Louisiana: 

Baton Rouge, LA., Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority.
19 The 2018 Evaluation Report to the U.S. Congress on the 

Effectiveness of Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection 

and Restoration Act Projects

Appendices
Appendix 1. Useful Links

http://www.lacoast.gov/ne/Projects/List.aspx

Complete list of authorized projects under the Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act (CWPPRA) 

since its implementation in 1990.

https://www.lacoast.gov/crms2/Home.aspx

Monitoring data at 390 Coastwide Reference Monitoring System (CRMS) sites

http://www.mvn.usace.army.mil/Missions/Environmental/CWPPRA/Meeting-Documents/

CWPPRA Public Meeting Documents

http://www.mvn.usace.army.mil/Missions/Environmental/CWPPRA/Priority-Project-Lists/

CWPPRA Priority Project List Documents and Process

https://www.lacoast.gov/calendar/

CWPPRA Meeting Calendar

http://coastal.la.gov/our-plan/2017-coastal-master-plan/

2017 Coastal Master Plan

Task Force Member Agencies:

https://www.fws.gov/southeast/lafayette; http://www.fws.gov/coastal/CoastalGrants/

U.S Department of the Interior (represented by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)

http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/la/programs/easements/acep/?cid=nrcs14p2_015685

U.S. Department of Agriculture (represented by the Natural Resources Conservation Service)

http://habitat.noaa.gov/restoration/index.html

U.S. Department of Commerce (represented by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Marine Fisheries Service)

http://www.epa.gov/region06/6wq/at/cwppra.htm

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (represented by the Water Division of EPA Region 6)

http://www.coastal.la.gov/

Louisiana’s Governor’s Office (represented by the Coastal Protection and Restoration Chairman)

http://www.mvn.usace.army.mil/Missions/Environmental/CWPPRA

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (represented by the New Orleans District)
Appendix 2. Threatened, Endangered, and Rare Species, Migratory Birds, 

Mammals, Amphibians, and Important Fisheries of the Louisiana Coastal Zone
Couvillion, USGS. 2017

Appendix 3. Land Area By Basin
Couvillion, USGS. 2017

Land Area Change Rate By Basin
Appendix 4. 

Images Produced by USGS.

The 2018 Evaluation Report to the U.S. Congress

on the Effectiveness of Coastal Wetlands Planning, 

Protection and Restoration Act (CWPPRA) Projects