Coastal Protection and
Restoration Authority

Location

The Southwest Coastal LA Feasibility Study encompasses Cameron, Calcasieu, and Vermilion Parishes in southwest Louisiana.

Issue Addressed

In 2009, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) and the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) initiated an integrated Feasibility Study and Environmental Impact Statement for Southwest Coastal Louisiana (for Calcasieu, Cameron, and VermilionParishes). The integrated feasibility study developed both a National Economic Development(NED) Plan consisting of risk reduction measures and a National Ecosystem Restoration(NER) Plan consisting of ecosystem restoration measures. This feasibility study was completed in 2016. Congress authorized the Southwest Coastal Louisiana Hurricane and Storm Surge Damage Risk Reduction and Ecosystem Restoration Project in the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act of 2016 (WIIN Act of 2016). The estimated total cost to implement the feasibility study was $3,391,116,000 (2016 dollars) and consists of nonstructural measures for 3,961 structures (NED plan: $906,091,000) and 49 coastal habitat restoration features: 9 marsh restoration, 5 shoreline protection/stabilization, 35 chenier reforestation (NER plan: $2,485,025,000).

Project Goals

The project includes structures that have a first floor elevation at or below the 202525-year base flood elevation (BFE). Participation in the project is 100% voluntary. Construction of nonstructural efforts will be cost shared between Corps and CPRA(65% Corps, 35% CPRA). Structure owners will not be responsible for the cost to elevate their structure. The project database contains a total of 3,961 preliminarily eligible structures. A map of these structures can be found below. No additional structures will be eligible for participation without additional Congressional authorization.

Project Status

October 2022
The Southwest Coastal Louisiana Project has secured $286 million in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2022 and $10 million in FY22 Community Projects Funding for the National Economic Development Plan (NED) for a total of $296 million. The SWC NED database identifies 3,961 structures that are preliminarily eligible for either elevation or flood-proofing measures. The Corps is currently working with CPRA to institute a Project Partnership Agreement before proceeding to execute elevations of currently enrolled homes that have been cleared for construction through previously completed surveys. Owners of the remaining enrolled, unsurveyed structures will be contacted to coordinate the required pre-construction surveys. Outreach efforts to enroll additional structures listed in the SWC database in the program will begin concurrently.

June 2023
The Southwest Coastal Louisiana Project has secured $286 million in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2022 and $10 million in FY22 Community Projects Funding for the National Economic Development Plan (NED) for a total of $296 million. The SWC NED database identifies 3,961 structures that are preliminarily eligible for either elevation or flood-proofing measures. A Project Partnership Agreement between the Corps and CPRA was executed on June 14, 2023. The Project will now proceed with onboarding contractors to elevate and flood-proof eligible structures. 27 homes are enrolled, surveyed, and construction-ready. Commencement of construction on these structures is anticipated for early 2024. Pre-construction surveys on the remaining enrolled structures, and outreach efforts to enroll additional eligible structures in the program will begin in 2024. An estimated 800-1000 structures will be flood-proofed/elevated using the $296 million in Federal funding in combination with a cost-share provided by the State.

Get Involved!

Additional Information can be found at Southwest Coastal Louisiana Project