Master Plan Success: River Reintroduction to Maurepas Swamp
Project Highlight: River Reintroduction to Maurepas Swamp
As one of the largest forested wetlands in the nation, Maurepas Swamp provides important ecological and socioeconomic benefits to southeast Louisiana. The swamp not only improves water quality and habitat for many species of conservation importance but also increases resilience against storms for coastal communities from the Greater New Orleans region to the River Parishes and up into Greater Baton Rouge.
Voice for Restoration
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“The Biloxi Marsh Living Shoreline Project provides much-needed storm protection for St. Bernard communities. It is a great example of how we can work with nature to reduce erosion, enhance oyster production and improve water quality. This and other projects detailed in the Coastal Master Plan are crucial to protecting our livelihoods and culture, which depend on a healthy coast.” – Meaghan McCormack CEO, St. Bernard Economic Development Foundation |
What is the River Reintroduction to Maurepas Swamp project?
he River Reintroduction into Maurepas Swamp Project (MSP) will reconnect the swamp with the Mississippi River, providing sediment and freshwater to existing wetlands, as well as helping to offset future increases in salinity. The fine grain sediment coming from the Mississippi may also help to build land which will allow the opportunity for trees, like bald cypresses and tupelos, to grow and thrive.
This widely supported diversion project will benefit more than 45,000 acres of wetlands and forests, nearly one-third of the swamp, and reduce habitat loss over the next several decades. Creating this wetland buffer can also reduce storm surge for communities stretching from the Greater Baton Rouge to the Greater New Orleans regions.
Learn more about this project.
Louisiana Supports the Master Plan
There remains overwhelming bipartisan support for action to address Louisiana’s urgent land loss crisis through sediment diversions and other science-based restoration efforts. A new poll of coastal Louisiana voters by Global Strategy Group (GSG) shows widespread support for coastal restoration projects consistent with prior polls in recent years.
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Learn more about the 2023 Coastal Issues Poll
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Add Your Supports for the Master Plan
Louisiana is losing a football field of land every 100 minutes, and the science says it isn’t getting better. But for the 4th time in 16 years, Louisiana has a robust science-based, publicly informed comprehensive plan to address this challenge. In a recent poll, 92% of Louisianians said it was important for the state to have a science-based based plan.
Please add your voice to the map below so, together, we can show our support for coastal restoration and the Coastal Master Plan.
The new 2023 Coastal Master Plan is the state’s science-based blueprint for large-scale restoration and protection of Louisiana’s critical coastal areas. Without additional action on restoration and protection projects from the state’s Coastal Master Plan, Louisiana could lose 4,000 square miles of land over the next 50 years.
Everyone who cares about our coast has a role to play to make sure our state prioritizes coastal protection and restoration now and into the future.
Please show your support for the 2023 Coastal Master Plan!