JEFFERSON PARISH, La. — For years now, organizations across Louisiana have been working to protect and restore our coastline. A project to do just that officially broke ground in Jefferson Parish.
The Bucktown Living Shoreline is a $15 million project that aims to restore the coastline in Jefferson Parish, but it’s also an opportunity to bring a new outdoor activity to the area.
The shoreline is expected to consist of a series of massive rocks in front of the levee that will add new layers of resilience to the existing system. It will essentially serve as a speed bump for any storm system that comes into the area, with the hopes that it will lessen the impact if a severe storm does come through.
Environmentalists working on the project have said the space in between that levee and the rocks will create a marsh that will be open for people to come out on the water and bring out the kayaks or canoes.
Jefferson Parish Councilwoman Jennifer Van Vrancken spearheaded this project.
For Van Vrancken, it’s personal. She grew up on Lake Pontchartrain and said she wants to see it restored, and reintroduce people to the lake.
"We are connecting them to the lake and educating people about our environment and what resilience is all about." the councilwoman said. "That's such an important part of what we are doing here in Bucktown."
The 20 acre project will stretch from the Bucktown Harbor to the Bonnabel Boat Launch.
Crews hope to start construction in the next few weeks and have the whole thing completed in just nine months.
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