Contact: Gordon Helm FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
4/23/97
The second phase of a wetlands restoration project designed to reduce erosion from the Gulf of Mexico on Point au Fer Island has begun, with the immediate goal of protecting 250 acres of Louisiana wetlands, the National Marine Fisheries Service announced today. The fisheries service is one of the Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration agencies that is charged with protecting and enhancing essential marine habitat.
"This restoration project will improve the stability of an important Louisiana barrier island that provides protection for essential habitat to the nation," said Rolland Schmitten, fisheries service director. "Reducing wetlands loss will help to ensure both the nation's economic prosperity and healthy coastal environments for future generations."
Constructed primarily with funds from the state of Louisiana and the Coastal Wetlands Planning Protection and Restoration Act, commonly known as the Breaux Act, phase two of the Point au Fer project will stabilize approximately 4,000 feet of shoreline adjacent to the Gulf of Mexico that exposes areas of the island to accelerated erosion and saltwater intrusion. Total cost of phase two was to have been $500,000; however, Mobil Exploration & Producing U.S. Inc. (MEPUS) has provided an additional $150,000 to expand the restoration area and provide an additional level of insurance against future erosion and wetlands loss.
"In 1946, Mobil spudded its first well in the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico, just five miles off Point au Fer," said Mike Yeager, president and general manager of MEPUS. "Mobil has a long history in the Point au Fer area, and of being in the forefront of protecting the environment. We are pleased to be able to make this commitment to preserving such a valuable habitat."
Point au Fer Island, one of the Gulf of Mexico barrier islands located adjacent to Atchafalaya Bay, is composed of 42,000 acres of valuable marsh habitat near the Atchafalaya River delta. The brackish and intermediate marshes of the island currently provide habitat for numerous terrestrial and marine species of waterfowl, furbearers, and finfish.
Phase two focuses on the western end of Point au Fer Island, specifically a canal parallel to the island's shoreline where the Gulf of Mexico is separated by a very narrow strip of land that is frequently overwashed. Saltwater intrusion can kill marsh vegetation and exacerbate wetlands loss. In 1992, Hurricane Andrew breached the shoreline and saltwater flowed directly into the canal and exposed the island's wetlands to saltwater. Although this breach was temporarily closed, the shoreline has sustained additional erosion and remains very susceptible to overwash. According to Louisiana Department of Natural Resources Secretary Jack Caldwell, Bertucci Contracting Corp., of Jefferson, La., is performing the work on site using a barge-mounted crane, geotextile material and rock. The shoreline along the canal will be armored by placing limestone rock along a 4,000-foot long stretch of shoreline. This action is expected to slow shoreline erosion so that the canal will not connect to the Gulf of Mexico.
The first phase of the Point au Fer project constructed a series of plugs to restore historic drainage patterns across the island and to direct the flow of sediment-laden waters from the Atchafalaya River across the island's wetlands. The plugs also moderate the effects of saltwater intrusion. Together, the two phases directly protect 350 acres of wetlands and enhance ecological benefits of 3,500 acres of wetlands on the island.
Both phases of the Point au Fer project are supported by 75 percent federal funds from the Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act, and 25 percent state funds provided by the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources. Under the Breaux Act, a task force was formed consisting of five federal agencies and the State of Louisiana. The task force currently is coordinating the implementation of more than 60 projects aimed at mitigating Louisiana's severe coastal erosion and wetlands loss.