Louisiana Coastal Area (LCA) Project Status Report

1
Louisiana Coastal Area (LCA) Project Status
Report
Presentation to the Governors Advisory
Commission on Coastal Protection, Restoration,
and Conservation October 6, 2009
2
History and Milestones

• 1997 Coast 2050 Toward a Sustainable Coastal
  Louisiana
• Interagency plan with coastwide coverage
  outlining restoration strategies
• 2002 LCA Coastwide Comprehensive Ecosystem
  Restoration Study initiated
• 2004 Administration requests the LCA
  Comprehensive Study be reduced to a near-term
  plan
• January 2005 Chiefs Report signed for LCA
  Ecosystem Restoration Program (Near-term Plan)
• November 2007 Water Resources Development Act
  authorized LCA Program

3
WRDA 2007 Title VII

• Sec. 7003 Louisiana Coastal Area
• Sec. 7005 Project Modifications 10,000,000
• Sec. 7006 Construction
• (a) Science and Technology 100,000,000
• (b) Demonstration Projects 100,000,000
• (c) Initial Projects (5) 828,300,000
• (d) Beneficial Use of Dredged
  Material 100,000,000
• (e) Additional Projects (10) 728,200,000
• Sec. 7007 Non-Federal Cost Share
• Sec. 7008 Project Justification
• TOTAL (auth. for construction) 1,866,500,000

4
Additional Six Projects

• The Secretary of the Army may carry out
  these projects if a favorable report of the
  Chief is completed by not later than December 31,
  2010.
• Terrebonne Basin Barrier Shoreline Restoration
• Small Diversion at Convent/Blind River
• Amite River Diversion Canal Modification
• Multi-purpose Operation of the HNC Lock
• Medium Diversion at Whites Ditch
• Convey Atchafalaya River Water to Northern
  Terrebonne Marshes

5
Six Project Schedule
MILESTONE
DATE

• FCSA Execution Nov 2008
• Kickoff Meetings Jan 2009
• NEPA initiation (Notice of Intent publication)
  Dec 2009
• Public scoping meetings Feb 2009
• Develop Screen Initial Alternatives Array
  April 2009
• Submit Feasibility Scoping Meeting
  Materials June 2009
• Feasibility Scoping Meeting July 2009
• Rights of Entry, Data Collection Sept 2009
• Evaluate Final Alternatives Array Nov 2009
• Identify Draft Tentatively Selected Plan Jan
  2010
• Alternative Formulation Briefing Report
  (HQ/MVD) Mar 2010
• Public comment period June 2010
• Respond to comments July 2010
• Washington review Sept 2010
• Sign Chiefs Report Dec 2010

6
Additional Four Projects

• Not later than December 31, 2009 the Secretary
  of the Army shall submit feasibility reports on
  these projects
• Maintain Land Bridge Between Caillou Lake and
  Gulf of Mexico
• Stabilize Gulf Shoreline at Point Au Fer Island
• Modification of Caernarvon Diversion
• Modification of Davis Pond Diversion

7
Four Project Schedule
MILESTONE
DATE
FCSA Execution Jun 2009 Kickoff Meetings
Jul 2009 NEPA initiation (Notice of Intent
publication) Aug 2009 Public scoping meetings
Sep 2009 Develop Screen Initial
Alternatives Array Oct 2009 Submit Feasibility
Scoping Meeting Materials Jan 2010 Feasibility
Scoping Meeting Mar 2010 Final Array ROE
Data Collection Jun 2010 Evaluate Final
Alternatives Array Sep 2010 Identify Draft
Tentatively Selected Plan Nov 2010 Alternative
Formulation Briefing Report (HQ/MVD) Mar
2011 Public comment period May 2011 Respond
to comments June 2011 Washington
review Aug 2011 Sign Chiefs Report Nov
2011
8
Initial Projects

• Small Diversion at Hope Canal
• Pursuing through CWPPRA
• 30 design milestone in Dec 2008
• USACE conducting gap analysis
• Addressing 30 design comments
• Moving forward to 95 design under CWPPRA

9
Initial Projects

• Barataria Basin Barrier Shoreline Restoration
• Draft report/EIS complete
• Feasibility Review Conference Oct 2009
• Public review external peer review Jan 2010
• Engineering and design May 2010
• Construction to begin 2012

10
Initial Projects

• Small Bayou Lafourche Reintroduction
• Bayou LaFourche Freshwater District pursuing
  project with state technical and financial
  support
• Cooperative agreement signed November 2008
• Engineering and design complete in May 2009
• Construction to begin November 2009
• Developing MOU with USACE for work in kind credit
  

11
Initial Projects

• Medium Diversion at Myrtle Grove with Dedicated
  Dredging
• PMP under development 2-3 yr. schedule
• to Chiefs Report
• State/NGO modeling initiated 2009
• Preliminary sediment data is collected
  finalizing data report
• Additional modeling components being started
• Infrastructure features GIS being developed

12
Initial Projects

• Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (MRGO)
  Environmental Restoration
• Being pursued at 100 federal expense

13
Program Components

• Beneficial Use of Dredged Material Program
• Science and Technology (ST) Program
• Demonstration Project Program
• Investigations into Modifications of Existing
  Structures

14
Program Execution Summary

• Initial Projects all 5 underway
• Additional Projects all 10 underway
• Beneficial Use of Dredged Material Program
  underway
• Science and Technology Program underway
• 17 active of 20 total program components

15
Questions?
16
Program Components

• Large-Scale and Long-Term Studies
• Acadiana Bay Estuarine Restoration Study
• Upper Atchafalaya Basin Study
• Chenier Plain Freshwater Management and
  Allocation Reassessment Study
• Mississippi River Delta Management Study
• Mississippi River Hydrodynamic Study
• Third Delta Study