Chandeleur Island Restoration

Working with the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA), SWCA is providing environmental services to support the planning, engineering, and design of a barrier island restoration project benefitting the Chandeleur Islands in coastal Louisiana and the many species that use them. The project will focus on the restoration and protection of approximately 9 miles of the main Chandeleur Island system. SWCA developed and executed a rapid assessment seagrass survey plan to map and document the species composition and relative density of the approximate 5,000 acres of Chandeleur Island seagrass beds. SWCA is currently working with CPRA and other state and federal resource agencies to develop habitat restoration goals for nesting Kemp’s ridley sea turtles and loggerhead sea turtles, other marine mammals, and seagrass beds. Information gained from this work is being used to guide restoration design alternative development; to understand and quantify the potential impacts and benefits to the existing seagrass, sea turtles, and marine mammals; and to predict changes in species composition and distribution related to the project.