Mississippi River Sand for Barrier Island Restoration in Louisiana: Geophysical and Geotechnical Investigations for Sand Mining

Coastal land loss in the Mississippi River delta region contributes to loss of valuable habitat and coastal flooding hazards. Restoration of these ecosystems is a primary activity that requires large volumes of sand to rebuild beach-dune systems and restore wetland habitats. Sand sources have traditionally been sought offshore in the marine environment but there are problems associated with setbacks from oil and gas infrastructure, presence of muddy overburden, and limited reserves of beach-quality sediments. The potential of sand sources in channel and point bar deposits becomes an attractive alternative for barrier island restoration, especially because fluvial sediments are renewable. Results of preliminary geophysical and geotechnical investigations in the lower Mississippi River (south of New Orleans) along a 32-km stretch of the river indicate the presence of at least 23 million m³ of usable sand.