CPRA and federal partners move ahead on Calcasieu‑Creole marsh restoration with Restore grant expected

The Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Board approved plans this month to press forward on the Calcasieu‑Creole large‑scale marsh creation and hydrologic restoration project after CPRA staff said a Restore Council grant award is imminent.

The project, managed by CPRA project manager Jessica Diaz, targets about 65,000 acres in the Cameron Creole Watershed and uses a combination of lake‑rim drainage structures with backflow prevention, up to 18 miles of conveyance (channel) improvements and large‑scale marsh creation to reduce persistent flood stress and restore elevation across the marsh.

Why it matters: CPRA leaders said the watershed has experienced decades of land loss driven largely by saltwater intrusion and changes to lake and marsh hydrology. The combination of drainage, conveyance and dredge‑fed marsh construction is designed both to restore marsh elevations and to improve the system’s ability to drain during low tides and cold fronts.

CPRA said the Restore Bucket 1 allocation of $261,000,000 is dedicated to engineering, permitting, construction, operations and monitoring for the project. Diaz told the board that 100% design for the lake‑rim drainage structures is complete and that she expects a formal Restore award “in the coming days,” after which CPRA will advertise the drainage‑structure construction package—targeted for late September or early October.

Project features and schedule: The design includes seven new gravity drainage structures on the lake rim, each fitted with between 17 and 31 60‑inch culverts (159 culverts in total) and inline check valves to prevent backflow from the lake into the marsh. CPRA intends to pair the drainage structures with conveyance improvements—dredging historic flow paths—and to use dredged material to construct at least 1,500 acres of the roughly 7,000 acres proposed for marsh creation. Diaz said phase‑2 data collection for conveyance and marsh‑creation work is wrapping up and that a 30% design for those elements is expected in the fall, with full advertisement for marsh construction targeted for mid‑2026.

Partnerships and funding leverage: Diaz and CPRA Executive Director Mike Harris said CPRA is coordinating with federal partners, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, NRCS, and the Army Corps of Engineers, as well as private sector and LNG mitigation projects. Harris said other sources will be leveraged to expand the project’s reach and called the effort “transformational” for the watershed. CPRA noted the project complements other programs that may supply additional dredge material or mitigation funding.

Operational detail: Diaz described the lake‑rim drainage structures as being designed for resilience: trash racks and backflow prevention devices will reduce the risk of clogging and reverse flows during high lake stages. She said permitting for the lake‑rim structures and the conveyance improvements has been completed and that construction advertising will follow the Restore award.

Board reaction and next steps: Board members praised CPRA staff for outreach and operations in the region and asked about sequencing with related projects. CPRA and its design contractor HDR said the schedule is aggressive so the work can be started within the current federal fiscal year and preserve construction momentum. CPRA listed next steps as awarding the drainage‑structure contract on receipt of the Restore grant, completing 30% design for conveyance and marsh creation this fall, and advancing the marsh construction advertisement in mid‑2026.

Evidence from the meeting: Project managers presented maps and renderings of the drainage structures, marsh placement polygons and conveyance pathways. Diaz said the Restore recommendation had been signed and that CPRA anticipates the grant award imminently.

Looking ahead: If awarded and constructed as planned, CPRA and its partners expect the combined drainage and marsh creation work to reduce marsh inundation frequency and slow land loss in the Cameron Creole Watershed while preserving the five existing salinity‑control gates that support fisheries access.