By increasing the width and integrity of the island, project managers expect to extend the current life span of the Timbalier Island chain while protecting marshes on the mainland of Timbalier Bay. Louisiana's barrier islands are the primary line of defense against waves from the Gulf of Mexico and protect an extensive estuarine system and the mainland marshes in the Terrebonne and Barataria basins. These barrier islands provide valuable habitat for migratory birds, nesting shorebirds and waterfowl, and aquatic nursery habitats for fish and shellfish. The erosion and breaching of East Timbalier Island has reduced its effectiveness in preventing storm surges from reaching mainland marshes. The lack of an effective barrier has resulted in increased wave damage to bay marshes.
Restoration is critical to sustaining the island and reducing mainland marsh loss.
Currently, Louisiana is losing between 25 and 35 square miles of valuable marine habitat a year. Louisiana contains 40 percent of the wetlands in the 48 contiguous states. A project was undertaken in 1994 by Greenhill Petroleum Corp. following a settlement with federal and state trustees. In the settlement Greenhill agreed to create 21 new acres of marsh on the island as compensation for an oil spill that occured in September 1992. The first phase is designed to reinforce the vital interior marshes of the island and provide prolonged protection to an additional 1,900 acres of coastal wetlands within the Timbalier Bay estuarine system.