The Louisiana Wildlife Federation (LWF) will co-host an informational meeting with the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) on the Mississippi River Reintroduction into Maurepas Swamp project. The meeting will be Monday, March 26, 2018 from 5:30pm to 7pm at the Regala Gym in Reserve (194 Regala Park Rd). The public is invited to learn more about the project, its current status and next steps, and ask questions to those working to implement this restoration project.
The meeting will kick off with an open house with refreshments and information to view about the project. Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation and CPRA will give presentations beginning at 6:00 pm followed by a question and answer session from attendees.
Maurepas Swamp consists of over 140,000 acres of cypress-tupelo trees and is one of the largest areas of forested wetlands along the Gulf. The project will reconnect the swamp to the Mississippi River, restoring important wildlife habitat and maintaining over 45,000 acres of sinking and degraded wetlands.
In September, CPRA was awarded $14.2 million from the RESTORE Council to advance the project to its engineering and design phase (read more about that here). “The River Reintroduction into Maurepas Swamp project is a Coastal Master Plan priority and has long been discussed at both the state and federal levels as a key restoration project for Louisiana. We are excited to advance this important project toward construction readiness”, said Johnny Bradberry, Chairman of the CPRA Board. The project would divert freshwater from the Mississippi River through a gated structure near Garyville into a five mile conveyance channel that would deliver river water to the swamp.
Louisiana Wildlife Federation is a statewide conservation education and advocacy organization. Established in 1940, it is affiliated with the National Wildlife Federation and represents a broad constituency of conservationists including hunters, anglers, campers, birders, boaters, and other outdoor enthusiasts. Learn more at lawildlifefed.org.
The Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation is a non-profit organization consisting of a 14-member board of directors representing Basin parishes and regulatory agencies with a mission to restore and preserve the Pontchartrain Basin for the benefit of this and future generations. Visit saveourlake.orgfor more information.
Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority is the single state entity with authority to develop, articulate, implement, and enforce a comprehensive coastal Master Plan of unified vision, to reduce tropical storm surge flood impact, to restore our bountiful natural resources, to build land to protect our nation’s critical energy infrastructure, and to secure Louisiana’s coast now and for future generations. Visit CPRA’s website at coastal.la.gov to learn more.
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