The Calcasieu Ship Channel, which connects the Gulf of Mexico to Calcasieu Lake, is located within the Chenier Plain. The once stable platform of the Chenier Plain has experienced decades of dredging navigation canals, which has dramatically changed the hydrology of the system. Saltwater intrusion led to the extensive loss of freshwater marshes, increasing the threat of storm surge to communities. This project will aim to isolate the ship channel through a network of dike and sill structures designed to limit saltwater intrusion through the Calcasieu Ship Channel and into adjacent marshes. This project will also support storm surge protection by increasing the sustainability of adjacent marshes and dissipating wave energy and tidal flows within the ship channel.

State, Estuary, and Project Type for this project:
Louisiana Chenier Plain Hydrologic Restoration