CPRA reports construction progress on Morganza to the Gulf lock complex and launches Grand Bayou Ridge marsh creation in Plaquemines Parish

The Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) told its board on March 19 that construction is advancing on major hurricane-protection and restoration work, including the Houma Navigation Canal Lock Complex — a key element of the Morganza to the Gulf system — and a 500‑acre-plus marsh creation and forested ridge project in Plaquemines Parish.

CPRA Executive Director Glenn Lidday said the authority currently manages “108 active projects, 39 in construction, 65 in engineering and design, and 4 in planning,” and that several projects have recently moved from design into construction. He described the Grand Bayou Ridge and Marsh Restoration Project as “a massive, 500 acre plus marsh creation and forested ridge project” that will proceed through the remainder of 2025 and is budgeted “close to $56,000,000.”

Why it matters: the Morganza to the Gulf system and the Plaquemines marsh work both combine habitat restoration with flood-risk reduction. Board members framed the lock complex as a multipurpose structure that will provide flood protection, salinity control,…