Design Agreement signed setting the stage for $1.4 billion in
construction of LCA coastal restoration projects
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Terrence "Rock" Salt from the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works and Garret Graves, the Chairman of the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, signed the LCA 6 Design Agreement today, and were joined by the USACE New Orleans District Commander, Colonel Ed Fleming, and David Muth of the National Wildlife Federation. (Click on the image for a larger version)
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NEW ORLEANS, LA – Terrence C. "Rock" Salt, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works), representing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Garret Graves, Chairman of the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, representing the State of Louisiana, signed the Louisiana Coastal Area 6 Design Agreement today, initiating more than $20 million in work on the Preconstruction Engineering and Design efforts for several important coastal restoration projects. The signing of this document represents the transition from planning efforts to design efforts for six of the 15 near-term LCA projects, setting the stage for approximately $1.4 billion in construction of coastal restoration features should Congress and the Administration allocate funding.
"These six projects begin to use the freshwater water systems such as the Mississippi River and the Atchafalaya River, they begin doing dredge work and restoring barrier islands in Terrebonne Parish, and they begin to implement the solutions needed to save the coast," said Garret Graves.
"This is an important step forward for us to begin making changes to policy and infrastructure to ensure the future of South Louisiana."
As stated by Terrence "Rock" Salt, "The LCA 6 Design Agreement allows us to move to the next phase of completing the designs for these coastal restoration projects that will provide important environmental and storm surge risk reduction benefits. This is a vital part of our commitment to Louisiana and we are looking forward to not only completing the designs, but to reaching the point where we are breaking ground on these projects."
The Design Agreement will initiate Preconstruction Engineering and Design for the following projects: Terrebonne Basin Barrier Shoreline Restoration, Amite River Diversion Canal Modification, Small Diversion at Convent/Blind River, Convey Atchafalaya River Water to Northern Terrebonne Marshes, Multipurpose Operation of Houma Navigation Canal Lock and Medium Diversion at White Ditch.
"These projects will help to reduce the risk from storm surge of a hurricane by supporting the multiple lines of defense system," said COL Fleming, Commander of the New Orleans. "The LCA 6 projects utilize the three important coastal restoration methods, barrier island restoration, river diversions, and marsh creation and nourishment."
Corps and State representatives of the LCA 6 Project Development Teams were present for the signing, as well as several non-governmental organizations and stakeholders that play an important role in the development of successful coastal restoration projects.