Mr. Ricky A. Thibodaux
November 24, 2009Nov. 27
November 27, 2009
The Terrebonne Parish Council is looking into a new environmental solution to wetlands conservation that could help protect existing levees and create new marshlands. The council authorized the pursuance of funds for an experimental program to install 1,000 feet of artificial floating islands along the east bank of Bayou Terrebonne.
The devices could also prove to be a cost effective way to mitigate for marsh and wetlands loss in the levee building process, but it is unclear whether they will qualify with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The islands are made from mats measuring 5 feet by 8 feet constructed of recycled plastic and marine foam and are produced by Floating Island Environmental Solutions in Baton Rouge.
The mats are then planted with natural plants and anchored into the soil below the water.
At the moment, the islands are just used to protect existing levees and retain marshland, and have no connection with the Morganza-to-the-Gulf hurricane protection system, according to Leslie Suazo, the parish’s director of Coastal Management and Restoration, although they could be in the future.
“This would be jump starting a flotant marsh, and act as a shoreline stabilization and protection feature,” said Suazo.
“If there’s an area that’s going to be exposed and in need of this extra measure we’d like to test this device to see how much protection this will give in a higher wave energy environment, and how it operates in a brackish area,” she said.
To date, the islands have been used predominantly in freshwater marshes in the Midwest and as water quality control measures in Florida. But they’re already in use in Bayou Sauvage and in the South Lafourche Levee District on an experimental basis.
“We’re losing marsh from wave action getting to the levee, and we’re hoping to reestablish a little bit of the marsh apron,” said Curole, general manager of the South Lafourche Levee District.
The devices are still in the experimental phase, and they have not yet been approved by the corps for mitigation purposes. However, local authorities are hopeful that they’ll be able to get environmental credit for the floating islands in the future.
“You’re protecting the levee and providing some environmental enhancement. We’ve always done environmental things since the beginning as just a way to protect the levee. We’re hoping in the future to use them for mitigation,” said Curole.
The current trial run in Terrebonne Parish is slated to cost about $150,000 in total to protect 1,000 feet of shoreline, which is relatively cheap next to building new wetlands and marshes.
“It has a lot of apps and we would like to discuss them with the (Terrebone Conservation and) Levee District,” said Suazo.
Officials at the Terrebonne’s levee district hadn’t heard of the new idea, but said they were always open for new and cheaper means of mitigation.
Ted Martin, whose family owns and operates Floating Island Environmental Solutions, was born in Leeville and grew up in Golden Meadow.
The family was inspired by a desire to protect the Louisiana wetlands and purchased the license to manufacture the floating islands from its inventor in Montana.
“They’ll serve as a wind breaker or a wave damper along the shoreline and protect whatever marsh you have on the opposite side,” said Martin. “So it’ll definitely minimize or eliminate erosion. And from what I understand, whatever marsh that we’re protecting on the backside of the island will count towards mitigation.”
Regardless of whether the floating island will count towards mitigation, the protection they offer and environmental impact seems to be a worthy investment to Curole.
“We’re doing it just to do it,” he said, ” because natural is always better.”
Floating Island Environmental Solutions produces mats, constructed of recycled plastic and marine foam, planted with natural plants and launched into a water body, which could be used to stop Terrebonne Parish’s coastal erosion. * Photo courtesy of FLOATINGISLANDSES.COM
