EPA awards $2.5 million grant to help restore Louisiana wetlands

Dallas — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency awarded $2,502,401 to the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority of Louisiana to improve coastal wetlands in Louisiana. The project will create 300 acres of barrier marsh and nourish 130 acres of developing marsh near Bayou Moreau using dredged material from the Gulf of Mexico.

This project is funded through the Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act (CWPPRA). CWPPRA, enacted in 1990, is designed to identify, prepare, and fund construction of coastal wetlands restoration projects. Over 150 coastal restoration or protection projects have been authorized through the legislation, benefiting over 110,000 acres in Louisiana.

Over the past 44 years, our nation has succeeded in fighting back some of the most blatant threats to America's waters. EPA is committed to the continued protection of these resources and is working in partnership with federal, state and local organizations to ensure they continue to be safe and enjoyable to all.

CWPPRA supports the goals of the Clean Water Act to protect rivers, lakes, bays, wetlands, and coastal waters. Streams and wetlands benefit communities by trapping floodwaters, recharging groundwater supplies, removing pollution and providing habitats for fish and wildlife. Families and farms located downstream understand the importance of healthy headwaters upstream. One in three Americans get their drinking water from public systems that rely on seasonal and rain-dependent streams. EPA is taking public comment on a rule to help protect our nation’s waters.

For more information, visit: www.epa.gov/uswaters.