Manchac Wildlife Area Shoreline Protection | Louisiana

Client: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

When a critical wetland prairie was threatened by encroaching erosion from Lake Pontchartrain west of New Orleans, ABMB was called in to help rescue the irreplaceable marshland.  Separated only by a narrow landbridge, the wetland was deemed valuable enough that four non-federal entities partnered to fund the project, including the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Southeastern Louisiana University and the Richard King Mellon Foundation.

While working closely with coastal engineers, ABMB evaluated the existing conditions and made recommendations for a solution that should provide the necessary protection for the eroding Manchac Prairie.  With only the narrow landbridge separating the marsh from destruction by Lake Pontchartrain, the Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District had constructed segmented breakwaters to reduce wave-induced erosion.  Using recommendations from consulting firms and other entities, ABMB prepared plans and specifications to build up this area in 2006.  As Hurricane Katrina has shown, coastal preservation and restoration is more critical than ever, and ABMB is pleased to have played a role in this vital effort.

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