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MONITORING RESPONSE TO THE STORMWATER DISCHARGE AT THE PROPOSED POINTE AUX CHENES, LOUISIANA PUMPING STATION MX974605
Impact/Purpose:
The objectives of this project are to: (1) Determine the response of vegetation, sediment accretion, and marsh elevation of degraded coastal wetlands in the Point Aux Chenes Wildlife Management Area to this stormwater discharge and (2) Monitor the effects of stormwater discharge on wetland soil and water quality (nutrient concentrations, dissolved oxygen, and salinity).Currently, stormwater in Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana, is pumped into canals where it quickly makes its way into the recreational and shellfish growing waters of the Gulf of Mexico. An opportunity exists in the Barataria-Terrebonne estuary to use this stormwater for wetland restoration.
There are 256 pumping stations in the Barataria and Terrebonne estuary and it is anticipated that the results of this activity will demonstrate to the local goverment entities that there is the potential for the effluent of these pumps to be diverted, either completely or partially, into degrading wetlands to restore them to improve the quality of the water and to serve as hurricane buffers.
Description:
Once diverted into the marsh, it is anticipated that this stormwater will push back the intruding saline waters of the Gulf. The nutrients will stimulate growth of the emergent vegetation and the suspended particulate matter will be captured and settle out counteracting the sinking of the soil and importantly because the stormwater will take longer to reach the recreational and shellfish growing waters, bacteria and viruses will die off before reaching them. Through the activities conducted in this project, data will be collected prior to the diversion of stormwater into the marsh and after the pump has been directed into the marsh so that the degree of benefit of redirecting stormwater pump discharges can be determined.