A rock dam erected more than ten years ago across the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet—MR-GO—channel has been successful in blocking the intrusion of salt water into Bayou la Loutre.
This has aided in the recovery of oysters and clams.
It’s also helping with the growth of bald cypress trees which will serve to help rebuild swamp lands in Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Borgne.
According to the Times Picayune/New Orleans Advocate, the reduced salinity across the region since the installation of the MR-GO is helping in the recovery of 1.2 million acres of habitat.
A report on the region says a lot help and work is still needed to get the recovery going.
“Though 15 years have passed since [Hurricane Katrina], neither the Lower Ninth Ward, nor St. Bernard Parish, have been able to fully recover [from] the lingering legacy of MRGO,” said National Wildlife Federation Gulf Program Deputy Director and report co-author Amanda Moore. “While the results of the closure on our ecosystem recovery are undeniable, we must keep pushing forward for the restoration that is needed to protect communities."
The rock dam is located where a natural ridge once kept the salt water out of the area’s swamps.
Once the MR-GO pushed through, the swamps, held in place by bald cypress, started disappearing.
Now, a $3-Bln Army Corps of Engineers project looks to construct a fresh water outflow to aid in the restoration of Central Wetlands, Biloxi Marshes, and the Lake Borgne and East Orleans land bridges.
Though approved in 2012, the state and the Corps are still at odds over cost-sharing.
