Location
The Louisiana Coastal Area (LCA) Mississippi River Hydrodynamic and Delta Management Study area encompasses the lower Mississippi River and the surrounding deltaic regions (Pontchartrain, Breton Sound, and Barataria Basins).  The hydrodynamic portion of the study will focus on in-river processes, while the delta management portion will evaluate opportunities for restoration in the adjacent basins.

Issue Addressed
Wetlands surrounding the Mississippi River Delta are experiencing subsidence and land loss which are compounded by the disruption of natural deltaic processes and altered bayside hydrology. Improvement in understanding and management of available Mississippi River resources is needed to support multiple river functions, including restoration, navigation and flood risk reduction. A main objective of this project is to achieve, in areas surrounding coastal communities, a sustainable net positive elevation change relative to sea level rise and subsidence. The project team will evaluate restoration strategies and project features that adjust bayside hydrology, re-establish geomorphic connectivity of the Mississippi River to the receiving basins, and introduce sufficient volumes of sediment, freshwater, and nutrients needed to build land.

Project Benefits
The project team will use modeling results and recommendations from other large-scale coastal restoration plans (including the Louisiana Comprehensive Master Plan for a Sustainable Coast, 2012) to provide a decision-making framework for the management of a sustainable coastal ecosystem that allows for the coexistence of navigation and flood control uses while supporting the needs of Louisiana and the Nation.

Get Involved!
If you would like to receive regular updates regarding the LCA Mississippi River Hydrodynamic and Delta Management study, please contact us at coastal@la.gov.  

Project Stats

Project Type:
TBD  

Project Number:
MR-16

Estimated Total Cost:
$25.3 million
50% State
50% Federal (USACE)
cost-share

Coastal Program:
Louisiana Coastal Area

Land Benefited:
TBD  
                                                                    

Louisiana Coastal Area Program Supervisor Wes LeBlanc, of the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, discusses the study area with two stakeholders at a public scoping meeting in New Orleans on April 12, 2012.