Permanent Pipeline Construction Will Aid Sabine Marsh Restoration

Earlier this month, the US Army Corps of Engineers awarded $9 million to contract Wilco Pipeline Contractors of Rayne, Louisiana in order to construct a 3.6 mile permanent pipeline that will be used to carry dredged material from the Calcasieu River Ship Channel to the marshes in Cameron and Calcasieu Parishes. Dredging is the act of removing sedimentation from shallow sea areas or freshwater and moving it to a different location. This process has been the most effective technology for cleaning up contaminated sediments, as well as reducing the concentration found within the sediment.

The Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection, and Restoration Act project (CWPPRA), along with federal agencies and the state of Louisiana, have been constructing this plan since 1999, and have already restored 907 acres withing the Sabine National Wildlife Refuge. This site in particular is experiencing degradation from saltwater intrusion, as well as freshwater loss. "The project is intended to strategically create marsh in large, open water areas to block wind-induced saltwater introduction and freshwater loss. It will also increase nourishment in adjacent marshes while reducing open water fetch and the erosion of marsh fringe." Other alternatives have been the No Action Plan, or using projects developed only under the Beneficial Use of Dredged Material Program (BUDMAT). Over the past 17 years, CWPPRA has constructed and designed 147 projects, and have helped to restore over 120,000 acres of coastal wetlands. By the end of the project, they hope to restore approximately 2500 acres of marsh using dredged materials.

I feel this is an important subject matter that needed to be addressed due to the significant amounts of shore and marshland that are being destroyed every year. The amount of freshwater available is being lost, as well as increased erosion being caused by the wave fetch in the area. Not only will waterways continue to be navigable, but hundred of acres of new habitat will be available for community wildlife and other plant species. The greatest economic benefit of the plan is that it has been proven to be a somewhat simple process, as well as less expensive to restore marshes.