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Big Island Mining Project
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NOAA Restoration Center
Coastal Wetlands Planning
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Big Island Mining Project
Big Island Mining Project
Created with dredge spoils from the Atchafalaya River navigational channel, Big Island lies to the west of the mouth of the Atchafalaya River in St. Mary Parish, Louisiana. The location of the island has slowed the natural process of river delta formation and creation into new wetland habitats along the western side of the river's main channel. This project was designed in conjunction with the Atchafalaya Sediment Delivery project and included creating new delta lobes and an improved distributary channel system behind Big Island to enhance the accretion of land beyond the west bank of the Atchafalaya River. One main and five branch channels, the latter dredged at 45-degree angles to the main stem, mimic natural delta formation. Approximately 39,000 linear feet, or over 3 million cubic yards, of dredged material were utilized to create five delta lobes totaling 916 acres of marshlands. An additional 1200 acres are expected to accrete over the 20 year monitoring life of this project. The construction phase of this project was completed in October 1998.
Big Island Mining Project
Big Island Mining Project
Restoration
Sediments at the Big Island restoration site are pumped into the rectangulararea after being dredged from the main channel of the project. The depositionof these sediments will help create new wetland habitat.
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Taken at a higher elevation than the previous image, this image shows thepumping of sediments into the restoration area.
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(1.25 MB)
The spilt of a tributary channel shows the beginning of a delta lobe. Therestoration work is intended to create a delta pattern. This image illustratesthe success of the project as demonstrated by the formation of the delta lobe.
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(1.21 MB)
A bucket dredge, the Captain Bufford Berry, working to create the containmentdike.
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(1.38 MB)
A bucket dredge at work.
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(1.33 MB)
An aerial view of the restoration site. The containment dike, in the leftcorner, will soon hold the created wetlands that will abut the natural marsh.
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(1.34 MB)
A containment dike, looking east toward the main channel of the AtchafalayaRiver.
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(1.16 MB)
The small dredge in the center of the image, the Katrina, is an hydraulicdredge that pumps sediments into the containment area.
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(1.35 MB)
A close up image of the containment areas.
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(1.25 MB)
The containment areas at the Big Island restoration site.
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(1.23 MB)
A ground view of the containment dike at the restoration site.
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(1.16 MB)
The containment dike at the restoration site.
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(1.15 MB)
A close-up view of the containment dike and the newly emerging created wetlands.
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(1.13 MB)
A view of the emerging wetlands at the Big Island restoration site.
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(1.19 MB)
Roseate spoonbills wade in the emerging wetlands created by the restorationproject at Big Island.
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(1.24 MB)
Roseate spoonbills in flight.
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(1.21 MB)
This image shows the vegetated edge of the containment dike in the center ofthe main project dike off the newly dredged project channel.
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(1.18 MB)
Another view of the vegetated edge of the containment dike.
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(1.15 MB)
The containment dike as seen from a distance, the murky water indicates therich sediment sources of the Atchafalaya River.
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(1.13 MB)
In the background of the boat wake is a delta lobe created by the Big Islandrestoration project.
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(1.2 MB)
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