Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion

Sediment Diversion

Louisiana’s Barataria Basin has experienced some of the highest rates of land loss in the country. Between 1932 to 2016, the region lost nearly 295,000 acres of land. The Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion has been a cornerstone restoration project in the state’s Coastal Master Plan and work to address this excessive land loss. The diversion is being designed to strategically mimic the natural riverine processes that built the Mississippi River Delta and to help build and maintain land in the degraded Barataria Basin.

This sediment diversion is located along the west bank of the Mississippi River near Myrtle Grove. The brackish and freshwater wetlands in the influence area are highly degraded due to a combination of saltwater intrusion, decreased fresh water supply, alterations to the natural hydrology of the area and a lack of sediment input. This project will reconnect the river to the influence area and divert sediment, nutrients and fresh water to build new land, maintain existing marshes and increase habitat resiliency to sea level rise and storm events.

Once constructed, the diversion will deposit enough sediment to build and maintain 27 square miles of land over 50 years. The project will also work in tandem with other coastal restoration projects, such as marsh creation, by providing needed sediment and fresh water to sustain those projects.

The Mid Barataria Sediment Diversion will have significant economic benefits for the regional economy:

$2.8 billion increase in sales
$1 billion in new earnings for households
3,095 average jobs a year
$103 million for local governments.

The Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion is the single largest ecosystem restoration project in the history of the United States. This project will build more wetlands than any other individual restoration project in the world, and it is exactly the scale of project we need to address the very serious challenges we face.

Conceptual design of the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion. Credit: The Water Institute of the Gulf

About This Project

Project ID: 002.DI.102

Parish: Plaquemines

Type: Sediment Diversion

From the 2017 Coastal Master Plan

Description: Mid-Barataria Diversion: Sediment diversion into Mid Barataria near Myrtle Grove to build and maintain land, 75,000 cfs capacity (modeled at 5,000 cfs for Mississippi River flows below 200,000 cfs; variable flows to capacity between 200,000 and 1,250,000 cfs calculated using a linear function; diverts exactly 75,000 cfs when flows are at 1,250,000 cfs).

From the 2024 Annual Plan

FY 2025 Status: In Construction
Funding Source: NFWF, NRDA
FY 2025 Expenditure: $563 Million
Estimated Cost: $2.92 Billion

The Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion is a first-of-its-kind restoration project that uses “engineering with nature” to strategically reconnect the Mississippi River to the Barataria Basin, an area experiencing some of the highest rates of land loss in the world and home to the estuary most impacted by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The project represents one of the largest and most innovative coastal restoration efforts in the history of the U.S. Once complete and operational, the project will have the ability to build and sustain up to 26,000 acres of wetlands that will support a stronger, more resilient estuary. These wetlands will provide increased storm surge protection for communities in southeast Louisiana and create healthier habitats for the wide variety of aquatic species and wildlife in the basin. Other benefits include a substantial economic stimulus to the surrounding communities during project construction.

Project Updates

10/01/2023
Contractor mobilizes to site, Late 2023: LA Hwy 23 detour construction starts
08/10/2023
Groundbreaking ceremony commenced construction activities for Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion. (Press Release)
12/19/2023
Army Corps of Engineers issued a Record of Decision and permits authorizing the advancement of the project. (Press Release)
09/23/2022
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion project (Press Release)
03/05/2021
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion project (Press Release)
01/23/2018
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released a Final Scoping Report for the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion. (Press Release)
10/05/2013
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced their intention to conduct an Environmental Impact Statement on the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion. (Press Release)

What is a Diversion Project?

Graphic depiction of a diversion project. Designed by SCAPE.

Graphic by SCAPE, Published in 2023 Coastal Master Plan

Diversions mimic nature’s historic land-building processes by using the power of the river to move sediment and fresh water from the river into nearby basins. This project type can not only build new land but also provide a sustainable source of sand and mud necessary to sustain and increase the health of existing wetlands over time. Sediment diversions can also re-establish or maintain the fresh end of the estuary, originally lost to saltwater intrusion, ensuring that the range of fresh to saltwater habitats that makes Louisiana’s estuaries so productive persists into the future. Sediment diversions also help sustain nearby marsh creation, barrier island and ridge restoration projects.

Other Diversion Projects

Ecological Highlights

Habitat

Wildlife

Supporters Spotlight

“The Coastal Master Plan estimates we could lose 2,250 square miles of the coast in the next 50 years–that's in addition to the nearly 1,900 square miles we have lost since 1932. This problem isn't going away. If you think it's bad now, just wait.”
– Denise Reed, PHD.
Nationally and internationally recognized expert in coastal marsh sustainability

“We have no time to lose. Our home, our food and our very way of life depend on a healthy and thriving coast. This is our moment to turn the tide on land loss and protect our communities, our culture, and the bounty of our wetlands.”
– Isaac Toups
Three-time James Beard Best Chef of the South Finalist, Top Chef finalist and restaurateur

“Using the Mississippi River is our best bet to save the coast. This is the way Mother Nature intended it to be before we built levees. Using the river to deliver freshwater and sediment into the estuary will create habitat for all species of fish, crab, shrimp and waterfowl and give us lines of defense from storm surge, which is so important to keep living in south Louisiana.”
– Captain Ryan Lambert
World-class charter fishing captain and business owner

“Losing our coast will impact how we live and where we live. Our economy, education, housing, food and recreation are all under siege without innovative projects like the Mid-Baratria Sediment Diversion to help protect our heritage, our culture and our future!”
– Arthur Johnson
CEO, Center for Sustainable Engagement and Development, community-based nonprofit leader

Supporter Spotlight: Warren Coco

Resources

Louisiana’s Coastal Program is at Risk

Blogs

Podcast Episodes

Public Letters

Featured Report

The Economic Impact of Constructing the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion Project

A new report by Dr. Loren C. Scott & Associates, Inc. details the regional significant economic impacts of building the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion (MBSD) on Plaquemines Parish and the surrounding five parishes. The updated report, “The Economic Impact of Constructing the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion Project” showcases how Plaquemines, St. Bernard, Orleans, Jefferson and St. Tammany businesses, residents and governments will benefit economically during the combined five-year period when the diversion is being built.