River Reintroduction into Maurepas Swamp
River Reintroduction into Maurepas Swamp
This project was previously named the East Maurepas Diversion on our website. This diversion, planned near Angelina, will provide sediment and fresh water to existing wetlands in East Maurepas swamp. Dominated by bald cypress and water tupelo trees, the Maurepas swamp complex is one of the largest forested wetlands in the nation. However, levees constructed along the river have isolated the area from spring floods and the vital fresh water, nutrients and sediment they bring. This isolation, coupled with rising …
Union Freshwater Diversion
Union Freshwater Diversion will move fresh water from the Mississippi River into Maurepas Swamp near Burnside. With a maximum capacity of 25,000 cubic feet of water per second, the diversion will deliver nutrient-rich freshwater to the fresh-forested, flotant and freshwater marsh environments to prevent saltwater intrusion and encourage vegetation growth. It will be designed to operate at maximum capacity when the river’s flow reaches one million cubic feet per second. Over 50 years, the $876 million Union diversion is expected …
Central Wetlands Diversion and Wetland Restoration
This diversion will benefit the Central Wetlands Unit ecosystem east of New Orleans, an area destroyed by logging and by saltwater intrusion from the now-closed Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (MRGO). Once primarily a freshwater system dominated by bald cypress swamp and freshwater marsh, the predominant habitat type today is brackish marsh. Regional MRGO-area ecosystem restoration will help rebuild and sustain marsh and swamp, providing storm surge protection for New Orleans and nearby communities.