Louisiana’s coastal playbook just got a major boost. State and local officials announced Thursday that a homegrown dredging company has landed the construction contract to build and fortify marsh east of Delacroix in St. Bernard Parish. The East Delacroix Marsh Creation and Terracing project is set to create and nourish roughly 400 acres of wetlands and install thousands of feet of terraces to knock down wave energy and help new marsh stick around. Leaders are pitching it as a double win: stronger Breton Sound shoreline protection and more work for local contractors. News of the award and key details were shared by the St. Bernard Parish Government on its Facebook page.
Project scope and design
A 95% design report spells out plans to build and nourish about 414 acres of marsh and construct roughly 18,880 linear feet of earthen terraces over nearly 18 acres, according to the project’s 95% design report. Those terraces will be planted with marsh vegetation and are intended to knock down wave energy and trap sediment so the new wetlands can take hold and last. Engineers plan to hydraulically dredge material from Lake Lery and pump it into confined disposal areas east of Delacroix to build both the marsh creation cells and the terraces.
Contract award and contractor
The Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority lists the construction contract as awarded to Coastal Dredging Company, Inc. of Hammond, with the agency’s procurement page showing an award date of Jan. 9, 2026. Coastal Dredging is a Louisiana-based marine contractor that focuses on wetlands restoration and dredging work across the Gulf Coast. The procurement listing includes the bid documents and notice of award but does not yet provide a construction start date; details on mobilization and permitting are expected to follow pre-construction coordination.
Funding and program context
The project is moving forward under CWPPRA as a Phase II construction effort, with NOAA serving as the federal sponsor. It is part of a cluster of Breton Basin marsh-creation projects aimed at rebuilding the Breton landbridge. CWPPRA technical materials and project summaries group East Delacroix with nearby North Delacroix and Mid-Breton projects that collectively target habitat restoration and added buffer marsh across the basin. Taken together, those efforts are designed to improve long-term stability for coastal communities and fisheries habitat.
Local reaction and jobs
Local leaders are treating the contract as both a coastal defense milestone and an economic lift for Louisiana firms. In a post on St. Bernard Parish Government's Facebook page, Gordon “Gordy” Dove said, “the project protects Louisiana’s coast and supports a local business and helps our state’s economy.” Coastal Dredging’s website lists its headquarters in Hammond, a detail supporters point to as a sign that project payroll and many suppliers should stay closer to home while work is underway.
What’s next
With the contract awarded, state agencies and the contractor will shift into pre-construction mode, working through permitting, mobilization, and pipeline routing before hydraulic dredging starts. The procurement page confirms the award and related bid documents, and agencies are expected to roll out construction schedules and public notices as permits are secured and mobilization is finalized. Residents in Delacroix and surrounding communities can expect coordination and updates from parish and state partners as field work gets ready to ramp up.
