Latest Blog Post: Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion — What you Need to Know Now and Why
Combination Projects

Three Mile Pass Marsh Creation and Hydrologic Restoration

Proposed to help protect oyster and shrimp habitat, the Three Mile Pass Marsh Creation and Hydrologic Restoration Project will build a marsh buffer against potential freshwater intrusion. The project footprint will be approximately 11,000 acres, including a 660-acre area dedicated to creating new wetland habitat and restoring imperiled marsh in Malheureaux Point and Grand Pass.

Existing conditions in the Biloxi Marsh make this area prime habitat for oysters and shrimp. However, if the Bonnet Carre Spillway opens to prevent Mississippi River flooding, that fresh water can enter the marsh and greatly reduce the suitability of the habitat for those species. This project will build 20,000 feet of oyster reef to work with the restored marsh to help support the seafood industries of the Gulf Coast.

About This Project

Project ID: 310
Parish: St. Bernard
Type: Combination Projects, Hydrologic Restoration, Marsh Creation
From the 2023 Coastal Master Plan

Coastal Master Plan Project ID: 310
Region: Pontchartrain
Parish: St. Bernard
Implementation Period: 2
Description: Creation of marsh within a footprint of approximately 11,000 acres including a 660 acre footprint filling areas deeper than 2.5 feet to create new wetland habitat and restore degraded marsh in Malheureaux Point and Grand Pass. 20,000 feet of oyster reef creation along the created marsh in Three Mile Bay to reduce hydrologic connectivity between Mississippi and the interior of the Biloxi Marsh Complex.
CPRA  Project Factsheet

What is a Hydrologic Restoration Project?

Graphic by SCAPE. Found in 2023 Coastal Master Plan.

Graphic by SCAPE, published in 2023 Coastal Master Plan.

Hydrologic restoration improves freshwater flows to reduce or prevent harmful saltwater intrusion. These projects control salinity levels, preventing the die-off of freshwater plants and trees. Hydrologic restoration projects can also help maintain optimal salinities needed for the success of other restoration types, such as oyster reef and marsh creation projects.

Other Hydrologic Restoration Projects

Mermentau Basin Hydrologic Restoration | Houma Navigation Canal Lock Hydrologic Restoration |  Calcasieu-Sabine Large-Scale Marsh and Hydrologic Restoration Project

What is a Marsh Creation Project?

Graphic depiction of Marsh Creation Projects by SCAPE. Found in 2023 Coastal Master Plan.

Graphic by SCAPE, published in 2023 Coastal Master Plan.

Marsh creation or “dredging” uses sediment from the Mississippi River, nearby water bottoms or offshore shoals to build land in shallow, open water areas, typically where land has been lost. These projects can build land fairly quickly, but will eventually fall victim to the same process that caused the land to disappear originally. This type of project can be used in conjunction with sediment diversions to trap sediment, and sediment diversions can lengthen the lifespan of marsh creation projects by providing a continual source of sediment to the new marsh surface.

Other Marsh Creation Projects

Large Scale Barataria Marsh Creation | New Orleans East Marsh Creation | Central Wetlands Marsh Creation and Diversion | Delacroix Marsh Creation | East Bayou Lafourche Marsh Creation | Calcasieu Lake Marsh Creation | Belle Pass-Golden Meadow Marsh Creation | Calcasieu-Sabine Large-Scale Marsh and Hydrologic Restoration Project | Golden Triangle Marsh Creation

Ecological Highlights

Habitat
Wildlife

View map key