Maurepas Swamp Project

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The Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) has secured a $60 million grant from the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council (RESTORE Council) for the River Reintroduction into Maurepas Swamp Project, an extensive environmental restoration initiative in St. John the Baptist Parish.

The Maurepas Swamp, which spans portions of St. John the Baptist,  Ascension, and St. James parishes, is one of Louisiana’s most ecologically significant forested wetlands. The restoration is expected to enhance habitat for wildlife, strengthen storm protection for nearby communities, and preserve critical wetland ecosystems that are threatened by saltwater intrusion and subsidence.

“This grant is a game changer for the people and economy of the region,” said CPRA Chairman Gordon “Gordy” Dove. “Bringing the river back into the Maurepas Swamp means healthier wetlands, stronger protection for local communities, and a boost for the local economy. It’s about making sure future generations can live, work, and thrive here. We’re thankful to the RESTORE Council for helping us get this important work done.”

The $488 million project, slated for completion in 2029, will deliver vital freshwater, nutrients, and sediment from the Mississippi River into the Maurepas Swamp, improving the health of 45,000 acres of forested wetlands. 

The project also includes construction of three reaches of the West Shore Lake Pontchartrain levee system, being built as compensatory mitigation for impacts associated with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ West Shore project.

The latest grant, awarded from Bucket 3 of the RESTORE Act’s Spill Impact Component, brings the project’s total funding package together. The RESTORE Act allocates funds to Gulf states based on the damages caused by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, focusing on both ecological and economic restoration.

“The RESTORE Council is proud to support this major ecosystem restoration initiative through both the Council Selected Restoration Component and the Spill Impact Component,” said Mary Walker, Executive Director of the RESTORE Council. “The River Reintroduction into Maurepas Swamp project exemplifies the large-scale, science-based restoration that the Council was created to deliver. It reflects strong state and federal collaboration, and we’re excited to see it moving toward completion.”