Marsh Creation and Ecosystem Restoration in Coastal Louisiana via Pipeline Transport of Dredged Sediments

According to the latest estimates conducted by the USGS, the Louisiana Coastal Zone is projected to lose 10.3 square miles of land per year, on average, through the year 2050, with the majority of this loss (80%) focused in the Barataria and Terrebonne Basins. Historically, coastal restoration projects in southeastern Louisiana have been performed at a relatively small scale. The Coast 2050 program acknowledged the need for a more systematic, large-scale approach to coast-wide ecosystem restoration. A basin-wide restoration plan is proposed to restore coastal wetlands in Louisiana with sediment dredged from riverine and offshore sources. In the proposed plan, sediment will be transported to the restoration sites through a network of pipelines placed in existing pipeline and utility right-of-ways. An extensive ranking system was developed to prioritize the locations and phasing for individual restoration projects that will recreate a significant portion of the historic marsh footprint. Three alternatives were considered with variations in the magnitude of their land building goals.