The project was developed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and selected as part of a nomination process administered by the US Army Corps of Engineers. The CWPPRA Technical Committee will cast its final statewide vote and select four projects for Phase 1 (engineering and design) funding in December 2020.

The CWPPRA Technical Committee voted the Reggio Marsh Creation and Hydrologic Restoration project #1 statewide at its April 2020 meeting. The proposed project would create or nourish approximately 483 acres of marsh east of Reggio and Delacroix. The preliminary cost estimate is $20-$25 million.

St. Bernard Parish Government has enjoyed recent success in the CWPPRA program, securing Phase 1 funding for the Bayou La Loutre Ridge Restoration and Marsh Creation project (2016), East Delacroix Marsh Creation and Terracing project (2018), and North Delacroix Marsh Creation and Terracing project (2019). Each of these projects are currently in engineering/design and the total value of the ongoing work will exceed $100 million. It is worth noting that the two Delacroix CWPPRA projects and the proposed Reggio CWPPRA project are adjacent to one another.      

“Despite the ongoing challenges relative to the COVID-19 pandemic, our coastal team has continued to pursue funding for critical restoration projects in St. Bernard Parish,” said parish president Guy McInnis. “I would like to thank them and the EPA for developing and promoting yet another strong CWPPRA program candidate project.”