Monitoring and Adaptive Management Plan for Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) Project: Large-scale Marsh Creation – Upper Barataria Component
USGS will provide support to the Large-scale Marsh Creation – Upper Barataria Component Project by monitoring change in the area of land and water, and recovery of vegetation and elevation over time.
The Science Issue and Relevance: The Deepwater Horizon (DWH) Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group (LA TIG) developed a monitoring and adaptive management (MAM) plan for the Large-scale Marsh Creation – Upper Barataria Component Project, which represents one of three projects selected to help address the restoration of wetlands, coastal, and nearshore habitats in Barataria Bay, Louisiana. The objective of the project is to create approximately 1,207 acres of intertidal marshes to help restore interspersed and ecologically connected coastal habitats in the Upper Barataria Basin. USGS will support in assessing the restoration activity by measuring the recovery of change in the area of land and water, and recovery of vegetation and elevation over time.
Methodology for Addressing the Issue: This project, which will occur in the southern part of the Pen in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, will create and/or restore approximately 1,207 acres of tidal intermediate and brackish marshes along the degraded Barataria Land Bridge. The Land Bridge formerly prevented saltwater intrusion into the Upper Barataria Basin from the Lower Barataria Basin, supported freshwater and intermediate tidal marsh habitat, and reduced the adverse impacts of coastal flooding and erosion. The project will help create marsh that will ideally compensate, in part, for marsh losses in the Barataria Basin that resulted from the DWH oil spill.
Project objectives include creating or restoring interspersed and ecologically connected marshes in the upper Barataria Basin; ensure tidal channels, tidal pond, and marsh are hydrologically connected to the larger Barataria Basin ecosystem; and increasing vegetation and nekton productivity in the project area. USGS will support this project by monitoring land area change, vegetation productivity, and elevation changes after the restoration to monitor the success of the project.
Future Steps: The project is expected to remain in Barataria Bay for 20 years following construction. The information gathered from continued monitoring will help guide future restoration and management decisions in this Basin, as well as other areas of coastal Louisiana.
USGS will provide support to the Large-scale Marsh Creation – Upper Barataria Component Project by monitoring change in the area of land and water, and recovery of vegetation and elevation over time.
The Science Issue and Relevance: The Deepwater Horizon (DWH) Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group (LA TIG) developed a monitoring and adaptive management (MAM) plan for the Large-scale Marsh Creation – Upper Barataria Component Project, which represents one of three projects selected to help address the restoration of wetlands, coastal, and nearshore habitats in Barataria Bay, Louisiana. The objective of the project is to create approximately 1,207 acres of intertidal marshes to help restore interspersed and ecologically connected coastal habitats in the Upper Barataria Basin. USGS will support in assessing the restoration activity by measuring the recovery of change in the area of land and water, and recovery of vegetation and elevation over time.
Methodology for Addressing the Issue: This project, which will occur in the southern part of the Pen in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, will create and/or restore approximately 1,207 acres of tidal intermediate and brackish marshes along the degraded Barataria Land Bridge. The Land Bridge formerly prevented saltwater intrusion into the Upper Barataria Basin from the Lower Barataria Basin, supported freshwater and intermediate tidal marsh habitat, and reduced the adverse impacts of coastal flooding and erosion. The project will help create marsh that will ideally compensate, in part, for marsh losses in the Barataria Basin that resulted from the DWH oil spill.
Project objectives include creating or restoring interspersed and ecologically connected marshes in the upper Barataria Basin; ensure tidal channels, tidal pond, and marsh are hydrologically connected to the larger Barataria Basin ecosystem; and increasing vegetation and nekton productivity in the project area. USGS will support this project by monitoring land area change, vegetation productivity, and elevation changes after the restoration to monitor the success of the project.
Future Steps: The project is expected to remain in Barataria Bay for 20 years following construction. The information gathered from continued monitoring will help guide future restoration and management decisions in this Basin, as well as other areas of coastal Louisiana.