Using more than 15 million cubic yards of dredged material—enough to fill the Superdome approximately three times—the project has rebuilt approximately 3,180 acres of marsh. Where open water had steadily expanded over the years, new marsh now stretches across the lake’s edge, reconnecting habitat, supporting wildlife, and restoring natural processes that help sustain Louisiana’s coastal wetlands.

Local and state officials emphasized the project’s importance not only for the environment but also for the safety and resilience of nearby communities. Healthy marshes provide a natural buffer against storm surge, reducing risk to the Greater New Orleans area and complementing existing hurricane and storm-risk reduction systems.

The Lake Borgne effort also builds on nearby restoration work, including marsh creation and ridge restoration along Bayou La Loutre. That component added an additional 421 acres of nourished marsh and more than five miles of restored ridge habitat, supporting species that depend on healthy maritime forests.

Funding for the Lake Borgne Marsh Creation project came from the Natural Resource Damage Assessment as a result of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill settlement. These funds are administered by the Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group. The total estimated cost of the project is approximately $110 million.

The celebration at Lake Borgne marked more than the completion of a project—it marked renewed momentum in the ongoing effort to rebuild, protect, and preserve the state’s unique and irreplaceable coast.