Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act

CWPPRA
Agency overview
Formed 1990
Annual budget $84.5M (FY13)
Parent agency USACE, NOAA, FWS, NRCS, EPA, State of Louisiana
Website LaCoast.gov

The Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act (CWPPRA) was passed by Congress in 1990 to fund wetland enhancement.[1] In cooperation with multiple government agencies, CWPPRA is moving forward to restore the lost wetlands of the Gulf Coast as well as protecting the wetlands from future deterioration. The scope of the mission is not simply for the restoration of Louisiana’s Wetlands, but also the research and implementation of preventative measures for wetlands preservation.

CWPPRA is a partnership between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the NOAA- National Marine Fisheries Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Services, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the State of Louisiana.

Introduction

Like most deltaic systems, the Louisiana coast is sinking. The natural occurrence of subsidence was historically offset by new sediment from the annual overflow of the Mississippi River. With construction of the river levees, this overflow was cut off, leaving the wetlands to continue sinking with no source of renourishment. Since the early 1900s, storms and anthropogenic impacts have compounded with subsidence to cause drastic land loss in coastal Louisiana. In the past century, Louisiana has lost more than 1 million acres from its coast, 24 square miles annually, because of both human and natural factors that have disrupted ecological and economic stability. Billions of dollars in seafood production, oil and gas revenue, and commercial shipping will be lost without Louisiana’s coastal wetlands, which provide the basis and support for these industries. In terms of human life, the value of these wetlands is beyond estimation. Healthy marsh provides a buffer against storms, and its ability to absorb high water and slow wind is key to survival for coastal communities. As land is lost, hurricanes and tropical storms hit shore ever closer to the two million people who live near the coast. Every year as wetlands lose ground, these forces land closer to home. Without intervention, this ecosystem will be erased from the national landscape.

CWPPRA

The Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act (CWPPRA) is also known as the Breaux Act due to the involvement of Louisiana U.S. Senator John Breaux in the Act’s passage.[2]
The Act has several mandates:[2]

Since 1990, 151 CWPPRA Projects have been completed or are currently under construction.

Basin Project Areas

Projects By Parish
Parish Project Number
Acadia LA-03b, LA-30
Ascension BA-25b,LA-03b, LA-30,PO-29,
Assumption BA-25b, LA-03a, LA-03b, LA-30
Calcasieu CS-09, CS-22, CS-24, CS-27, CS-30, LA-03a, LA-03b, LA-30
Cameron CS-04a, CS-09, CS-11b, CS-17, CS-18, CS-19, CS-20, CS-21, CS-23, CS-25, CS-26, CS-27, CS-28-1, CS-28-2, CS-28-3, CS-28-4-5, CS-29, CS-31, CS-32, CS-49, CS-53, CS-54, CS-59, CS-66, LA-03a, LA-03b, LA-30, ME-09, ME-11, ME-16, ME-17, ME-18, ME-19, ME-20, ME-21a, ME-24, ME-32
East Baton Rouge LA-03b, LA-30
Iberia LA-03a, LA-03b, LA-30, TV-13a, TV-14, TV-19, TV-21
Iberville BA-25, LA-03b, LA-30
Jefferson BA-03c, BA-19, BA-20, BA-21, BA-23, BA-26, BA-27, BA-27c, BA-27d, BA-28, BA-30, BA-33, BA-36, BA-39, BA-41, BA-48, BA-125, BA-164, LA-03a, LA-03b, LA-05, LA-30
Jefferson Davis LA-03b, LA-30
Lafayette LA-03b, LA-30
Lafourche BA-02, BA-18, BA-22, BA-25b, BA-29, BA-33, BA-37, BA-171, LA-03a, LA-03b, LA-05, LA-30, TE-10, TE-23, TE-25, TE-30, TE-31, TE-52, TE-112
Livingston LA-03a, LA-03b, LA-30
Orleans LA-03a, LA-03b, , PO-16, PO-18, PO-22, PO-34
Plaquemines BA-03c, BA-04c, BA-24, BA-33, BA-35, BA-38, BA-39, BA-40, BA-42, BA-47, BA-68, BA-76, BA-164, BA-173, BS-03a, BS-04a, BS-07, BS-09, BS-10, BS-11, BS-12, BS-13, BS-15, BS-18, BS-24, LA-03a, LA-03b, LA-05, LA-30, MR-03, MR-06, MR-07, MR-08, MR-09, MR-10, MR-11, MR-12, MR-13, MR-14, MR-15, PO-27
St. Bernard LA-03a, LA-03b, LA-30, PO-09a, PO-19, PO-24, PO-25, PO-27, PO-30, PO-32
St. Charles BA-15, LA-03a, LA-03b, LA-05, LA-30, PO-17, PO-26, PO-28, PO-75, PO-133
St. James BA-25b, BA-34-3, LA-03a, LA-03b, LA-30, PO-20, PO-29
St. John the Baptist LA-03a, LA-03b, LA-05, LA-30, PO-29
St. Martin LA-03a, LA-03b, LA-30, TE-33
St. Mary AT-02, AT-03, AT-04, LA-03a, LA-03b, LA-05, LA-30, TE-35, TE-49, TV-04, TV-15, TV-20
St. Tammany LA-03a, LA-03b, LA-30, PO-06, PO-21, PO-33, PO-104
Tangipahoa LA-03a, LA-03b, LA-30
Terrebonne LA-03a, LA-03b, LA-05, LA-30, TE-17, TE-18, TE-19, TE-20, TE-22, TE-24, TE-26, TE-27, TE-28, TE-29, TE-32a, TE-34, TE-36, TE-37, TE-39, TE-40, TE-41, TE-43, TE-44, TE-45, TE-46, TE-47, TE-48, TE-50, TE-51, TE-66, TE-72, TE-83, TE-117
Vermilion LA-03a, LA-03b, LA-06, LA-30, ME-04, ME-08, ME-12, ME-13, ME-14, ME-22, ME-23, ME-24, ME-31, TV-03, TV-09, TV-11b, TV-12, TV-13a, TV-16, TV-17, TV-18, TV-63
West Baton Rouge LA-03a, LA-30

Project Types

Many restoration projects employ two or more restoration techniques.

Rock revetments like these help defend the shoreline.
Terraces help trap sediment to build new land.
This hydrologic modification weir controls and regulates waterflow.

Benefits of CWPPRA Projects

These images show BA-38 Barataria Barrier Island Complex Project: Pelican Island and Pass La Mer to Chaland Pass before and after restoration.

Benefits that CWPPRA projects contribute:[4]


CWPPRA Task Force Members

The task force consists of the State of Louisiana and five Federal Agencies:[5]

Contact information for CWPPRA Task Force members can be found at LACoast.gov.

The Hurricane Effect

In 2005, two of the United States' most devastating hurricanes hit the Gulf Coast (Hurricane Katrina, August 2005; Hurricane Rita, September 2005). Their impact gained national attention due to the vast property damage and loss of life. These two storms also impacted CWPPRA efforts for coastal restoration, for the better. As scientists and policy makers seek ways to protect coastal communities and industries from future hurricanes, they look to the marshes and barrier islands that form the coast’s first line of hurricane defense.[6] This is magnifying the importance of CWPPRA and related projects and the necessity for the successful restoration of the coastal wetlands.

More recently, in 2008, Hurricanes Gustav and Ike have left their mark on Louisiana's Coastal Wetlands. Experts are comparing Hurricane Ike's impacts to those of Hurricane Rita in 2005. Assessment of the impact is on-going and may not be fully realized for some time.

Related Restoration Projects

Additional Resources

See also

Wetlands of Louisiana
National Wetlands Research Center
U.S. Geological Survey
Coastal Conservation Association

References

  1. http://www.lacoast.gov
  2. 1 2 (February 2005). “The Breaux Act CWPPRA”, WaterMarks, 27.
  3. http://www.lacoast.gov/cwppra/reports/LandLoss/index.htm
  4. (December 2008). “Do CWPPRA Projects Make a Difference?”, WaterMarks, 39.
  5. http://www.mvn.usace.army.mil/pd/cwppra_mission.htm
  6. (March 2006). "Storms Reveal High Cost of Marsh Loss Hurricanes Prove the Urgency of Rebuilding Wetlands", WaterMarks, 30.
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