Since its founding, the organization has completed over 140 projects, benefitting 55,807 acres (87.198 sq mi) of land, placing 193 million cubic yards of sediment, improving 369 miles (594 km) of levees, and restoring 71.6 miles (115.2 km) of barrier islands.[3] CPRA predicts that, without action over the next 50 years, between 1,100 and 3,000 square miles (2,800 and 7,800 km2) of coastal land may be lost, depending on a low (1.6 feet (0.49 m)) or high (2.5 feet (0.76 m)) forecast of local sea level rise.[3][4]
History
The creation of CPRA was ordered by U.S. Congress in Pub. L.109–148 (text)(PDF).[5] The CPRA's forerunner, the Wetlands Conservation and Restoration Authority, was restructured as the CPRA by Act 8 of the First Extraordinary Session of 2005[1] when the tasks of coastal restoration and hurricane protection were consolidated under a single authority. The authority is responsible for overseeing all levee districts in the Louisiana Coastal Zone and dispersal of funding from Louisiana's Coastal Protection and Restoration Trust Fund to be used exclusively for wetland restoration and hurricane protection projects. Act 8 defines the CPRA's mandate as, "hurricane protection and the protection, conservation, restoration, and enhancement of coastal wetlands and barrier shorelines or reefs." Additionally, the act defined the term "coastal area" as the Louisiana Coastal Zone and contiguous areas that are subject to storm or tidal surge.[1]
In April 2007, the CPRA submitted Louisiana's first ever Comprehensive Master Plan for coastal restoration and hurricane protection to the state's legislature for approval. The legislature approved the plan unanimously. Entitled: "Integrated Ecosystem Restoration and Hurricane Protection: Louisiana's Comprehensive Master Plan for a Sustainable Coast," the Master Plan represents an overarching vision that fully incorporates hurricane protection projects and structures with coastal wetland and hydrology restoration projects. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officials will use the CPRA Master Plan as the cornerstone of the Congressionally mandated Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration (LaCPR) Report scheduled to be written and submitted to Congress by December 2007.[needs update]
In 2012, an article in The New York Times reviewed the current state of improvements to New Orleans defenses.[6] August 24, 2015, an article in The Huffington Post titled "10 Years After Katrina, Louisiana Is Becoming A Model For Climate Resilience" summarized the current state of Louisiana's shoreline and coastal community protection.[7]
Plan for a Sustainable Coast
Every five to six years CPRA must submit a revised plan to the state legislature. The current plan is the 2023 Master Plan, which was passed unanimously by the state legislature in May 2023.[8]
Projects detailed in the plan fall into the following categories:
Nonstructural Risk Reduction (elevating residences, commercial floodproofing, acquisition of flood-prone real estate)
Restoration projects
Ridge Restoration (sediment emplacement followed by planting to restore historic, forested ridges)
Marsh Creation (sediment emplacement followed by planting)
Landbridge (linear, constructed marshes which provide habitat and weaken waves)
Diversion (conveyance of sediment-bearing river water into wetland basins)
Hydrologic Restoration (ensuring water movement for a healthy ecosystem)
Programmatic Restoration Projects
Barrier Island Maintenance (strengthening of barrier island using dredged sediment)
Oyster Reef Restoration
Shoreline Protection
Bank Stabilization
Projects
There are many projects listed on both the CPRA and CWPPRA websites, and both sites have interactive maps to readily display projects.
As of 2023, Louisiana's Coastal Master Plan[3] intends two diversions:
On August 8, work will begin to channel the Mississippi west — 75,000 cubic feet per second — into marshes in Barataria. This project will cost an estimated $2.9 billion.
Later, work will begin to send fresh water east into wetlands in Breton Sound.[9]
