Eroded shoreline to be repaired at JB

[Ray]

Funds from the 2007-2008 state surplus are to be used to restore 5-6 miles of eroded shoreline west of the Calcasieu Ship Channel in early 2011.
Beach erosion caused by Hurricanes Rita and Ike is seriously threatening Highway 82, which links the east and west parts of the parish.
The $45.8 million project is part of the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority's draft plan for 2011, presented on Wednesday, Feb. 10, in Lake Charles.
The CPRA has been tasked with coordinating protection and restoration projects for the entire Louisiana coast, which has been severely impacted by saltwater intrusion, subsidence, and hurricane storm surge over many years.
Utilizing finds from past state surpluses and other state and federal funds, the CPRA reports that nearly $17 billion in projects are fully funded and underway across the state. The shoreline restoration project scheduled for 2010- 2011 has been funded and engineered. The last hurdle is a permit from the federal Minerals Management Service to allow the dredging of sand from approximately 10 miles offshore. The sand will be piped to the coast and pumped onto the eroded beach, which is now only mud. The CPRA hopes to begin in early 2011. $30.8 million in 2007 surplus funds and another $15 million from 2008 have been allocated to the project, for a total of $45.8 million. In 2009-2010, the state has begun three projects in Cameron Parish: the Rockefeller Refuge Gulf Shoreline Stabilization Demonstration Project, Grand Lake Shoreline Protection, and Calcasieu Ship Channel Beneficial Use marsh creation project. The draft plan for fiscal year 2011 is available for public comment for the next few weeks. Parish Administrator Tina Horn told the presenters, "Planning efforts have come a long way and are headed in the right direction. We wish we had more money to do more projects, but you are doing the best you can with what you have."