Project Location
CPRA proposes to locate the diversion complex in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana on the right descending bank of the Mississippi River, approximately at river mile 60.7 in the vicinity of the town of Ironton, LA and the Phillips 66 Alliance Refinery and approximately eight miles east of the town of Lafitte in Jefferson Parish, LA. The project boundaries are from the Mississippi River west bank to the Mid-Barataria Basin just west of the back levee.
Project Description
This project seeks to restore the natural deltaic processes along the Mississippi River north of Ironton near River Mile 60.7 in Plaquemines Parish. When in operation, the project would transfer sediment-laden water from the Mississippi River through a self-contained channel roughly 1.5 miles long, before outfalling past the back levee into mid-Barataria Basin. The project is expected to build and nourish up to 30,000 acres of critical coastal wetlands over a 50-year period.
Issue Addressed
The outfall area of the project, the Mid-Barataria Basin, is suffering from land loss due to hydrologic alteration, sediment deprivation, subsidence, sea level rise, and saltwater intrusion. By re-establishing a connection between the Mississippi River and the basin, the MBSD Project would restore a riverine/estuarine connection and mimic historic deltaic sediment deposition.
Project Goals
The primary purpose of the MBSD project is to reintroduce freshwater and sediment from the Mississippi River to the Basin to reestablish deltaic processes in order to build, sustain, and maintain land. The MBSD would be expected to build and nourish ten to thirty thousand acres of critical coastal wetlands over a 50 year period, being a top contributor to the 2012 Master Plan's goal of achieving no net loss of land in the future. Secondary long-term goals include restoring and preserving critical coastal ecosystems.
Verify Date
1/15/2020