The Calcasieu Ship Channel, which connects the Gulf of Mexico to Calcasieu Lake, located in the Chenier Plain. Once a stable, the Chenier Plain has undergone decades of dredging to build navigation canals, which has dramatically changed the flow of water in the area. Saltwater intrusion has led to the extensive loss of freshwater marshes and increased the threat of storm surge to nearby communities. This project will build a network of dike and sill structures designed to limit saltwater intrusion from the Calcasieu Ship Channel into nearby marshes that provide habitat to fish and wildlife and a storm surge buffer to communities. 

Fish and Wildlife Benefits

By helping sustain nearby wetlands, this project will benefit the wetlands of this region which provide important habitat to the area’s wildlife. The areas that benefit from this project include the Sabine National Wildlife Refuge and the Cameron Prairie National Wildlife Refuge which provide a variety of recreational opportunities to sportsmen, such as fishing, crabbing, and hunting waterfowl and alligator.