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MARITIME FOREST RIDGE AND MARSH RESTORATION AT PORT FOURCHON, LA MX974883
Impact/Purpose:
The objective of this project is to reestablish a degraded maritime forest ridge and marsh fringe habitat near Bayou Moreau and Bayou Cochon in lower Lafourche Parish, Louisiana. When fully constructed, the coastal ridge will stretch for approximately 12,750 linear feet and about 60 acres of marsh and 60 acres of ridge will be built. The assistance provided by this agreement will allow the ridge to be planted with native trees and shrubs including live oak, hackberry, red mulberry, sweet acacia and others. This vegetated ridge will provide a low energy environment giving protection to the marsh that has been created behind it. It will also provide needed habitat for neotropical migratory birds and other animals including marine fish and shellfish.
Information gained in this project can be used by other governmental and private sector organizations to use improved methods of vegetating restored coastal habitats.
Description:
The Louisiana Coastal Zone is experiencing serious coastal erosion and wetland deterioration. This continued loss of interior vegetative marsh will result in the loss of estuaries and the wetlands that they protect. Interior vegetative marshes, shorelines, chenier ridges, bay and barrier islands have significant intrinsic wildlife value and are critically important habitats for many fish and wildlife species. The few remaining coastal chenier ridges within the Barataria and Terrebonne basins are considered to be the most important habitat for many of the neotropical migratory birds that utilize them during the fall and spring season. The natural ridges that once bordered these two bayous supported forested communities long ago. Through subsidence and other coastal processes, only very small remnants of these ridges exist today. The goal behind reestablishing the maritime forest ridge and fringe marsh is to provide protection and much needed habitat for neotropical migratory birds and other animals and to provide for experiential ecotourism opportunities. This assistance agreement will provide partial funding necessary to help re-shape the ridge and provide for the plants, both herbaceous and woody species.