Coast 2050 Study Agreement Signed

The New Orleans District, USACE and the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources held an historic signing ceremony to launch a major coastal wetlands study. With the signing of the Coast 2050 Feasability Cost Share, the agencies will initiate a $6 million feasibility study of the Barataria Basin. The study will be completed in September 2001. "This is more than just another study," sais Congressman Billy Tauzin of Chackbay, who headed the effort to secure federal funding. "This is the beginning of a comprehensive, aggressive plan to save Louisiana's coastaline." The Barataria Basin was selected as the first area for study because it is the most critical, losing about 11 square miles annually. The study will focus on marsh creation, barrier island restoration and river diversion strategies. Other coastal feasibility studies are planned in the future.