Caminada Headland Beach and Dune Restoration, the First Use of Ship Shoal Sand for Restoration

Brad Miller1, Catherine Ricks1, Shane Triche1, Clayton Breland1, Steve Dartez2, Michael Poff2, Greg Grandy2, Mike Miner3, Ken Ashworth3

1 Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, Baton Rouge, LA, USA 2 Coastal Engineering Consultants, Inc., Baton Rouge, LA and Naples, FL, USA 3 U.S. Dept. of Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, New Orleans, LA, USA

committed to our coast Project Origin

. 2004 LCA Barrier Island Feasibility Study Louisiana Coastal Area Study (LCA) identified Caminada Headland as a near-term critical project. • Chiefs Report Signed June 2012

. CIAP / State Surplus of 2008 Coastal Impact Assistance Program (CIAP) •$30M State Surplus, $40M CIAP

Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Purpose . The goal of the Project is to protect and preserve the structural integrity of the barrier shoreline of the Caminada Headland by: • Protecting and sustaining significant and unique coastal habitats. • Protect threatened and endangered species. • Reducing wave energy and salt-water intrusion from the Gulf of Mexico into back-barrier environments, including chenier ridges, marshes, and mangrove wetlands. • Providing a sediment source to sustain barrier beaches east and west of the Headland. . Maintain and restore the integrity of the Louisiana coastline. . Address severe erosion of Headland (historical average of 45 ft per year) . Incidental benefits include protection of Port Fourchon.

Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Project Setting Caminada Headland

• Former site of the mouth of the Mississippi River • Approx. 14 miles long • Consists of narrow, low lying sand dune and beach berm, barrier marshes and chenier ridges • Shoreline erosion rate of 45 feet per year • No other Louisiana headland remains attached to the distributary that formed it.

Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority South Pelto Borrow Area

Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority South Pelto Borrow Area

Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Ship Shoal

• Ship Shoal is associated with barrier islands that were reworked remnants of the Maringouin delta complex of the Mississippi River • Approximately 8,000 years old • This is the 1st project ever to use offshore shoal sands in the gulf for beach and dune restoration • Ship Shoal is estimated to contain 900 million cubic yards of sand and encompasses approx. 76,600 acres

Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Ship Shoal– Prior Work

• Shea Penland advocates for use of Ship Shoal sand for shoreline restoration based on MMS-LGS cooperative study on OCS sand resources (Penland et al., 1988, 1989) • Extensive geophysical and archaeological studies undertaken in 2003 (C&C, 2003) • Nine Vibracore samples collected by Coastal Planning and Engineering (Finkl, et al., 2005) • Area contains very clean sand ranging in thickness and grain size from 13 to 20 feet and 0.15 to 0.20mm, respectively (Khalil et al. 2007)

Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Ship Shoal– New Work

• Detailed Cultural Resources Survey by Ocean Surveys, Inc., approx. 1,500 acres (June 2011) • Subbottom data indicated a sand thickness of 11 to 18 feet • Magnetometer and sidescan data indicate the sand body is free of significant targets / anomalies • Thirteen 20-foot long vibracores completed for ground truthing ~ excellent recovery: 15 to 19 feet of sand

Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority South Pelto Plan View

Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Ship Shoal– Geologic Sections

Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Restoration Template

Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Headland Typical Cross Section

Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Headland Template Design Details

Beach Elev. +4.5 Ft. NAVD88 Beach Width 65 Average Ft. Beach Slope 1V:20H Dune Elev. +7.0 Ft. NAVD88 Dune Crest Width 290 Average Ft. Dune Slope 1V:20H Surface Area 303 Acres Total Fill Volume 3,310,000 Cubic Yards Total Length of Project 31,000 Linear Feet

Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Construction Update

• Notice of Award to Weeks Marine March, 2013 • Pre Construction Activities May-July, 2013 • Pumping of Sediment Began August, 2013 • Approximately 45% complete • Scheduled Construction Completion August, 2014

Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Barge Being Filled at Borrow Area BargeBarge Being Being Filled Filled at at Borrow Borrow Area Area Barge in Transit Unloader in Belle Pass Unloader in Belle Pass Sediment Being Pumped Sediment Being Pumped Headland Looking West Headland Looking East Sand Fence 3 Months After Installation

Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Increment I vs. Increment II

Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Project Comparisons

Increment I Increment II Beach Elev. +4.5 +4.5 Ft. NAVD88 Beach Width 65 65 Average Ft. Dune Elev. +7.0 +7.0 Ft. NAVD88 Dune Crest Width 290 290 Average Ft. Surface Area 303 489 Acres Total Fill Volume 3,310,000 5,390,000 Cubic Yards Total Length of Project 31,000 39,000 Linear Feet

Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Project Team Members/Sponsors/ Supporters/Acknowledgements

• Joe Guillory and Catherine Ricks, CPRA Project Engineers • Liz Davoli, CPRA Environmental • Clayton Breland, CPRA Project Geologist • Rocky Wager, USGS GIS Support • Angela Thomas, CPRA Land Rights • Larry Marino, CPRA Contract Land Rights • Shane Triche and Adam Ledet, CPRA Field Engineers • Darin Lee, CPRA Barrier Island and Bird Expert • David Williams, CPRA CIAP Contract Support • Michael Poff, Steve Dartez, and Greg Grandy et al., CEC Lead Design Firm • Dona Rogers, GEC Permit Support • John Sullivan, OSI Borrow Area Geotech and Surveys

Project Team Members/Sponsors/ Supporters/Acknowledgements • Dr. Christopher Goodwin, Cultural Resources • Charlie Eustis and Josh Pruett, Geoengineers Fill Area Geotech • Joe Picciola, Project Topographic Surveys • Mike Miner and Ken Ashworth, BOEM (offshore sand lease) • Bridget Zachary, USFWS CIAP Liaison • Brigette Firmin and Patti Holland, USFWS T&E and Nesting Bird Consultation • Terrebonne Parish, Assisted With Funding Reallocation of CIAP Funds • Lafourche Parish, Project Supporter • Port Fourchon, Project Supporter • Jeff Corbino, USACE Aided in Coordination with COE Operations • Edward Wisner Donation: Land owner and supporter of project. • Caillouet Land Corporation: Land owner and supporter of project. • Weeks Marine, Construction Contractor

Questions?

committed to our coast committed to our coast