The Bayou Cane Marsh, located along the northern rim of Lake Pontchartrain in St. Tammany Parish, has lost nearly 10 acres per year since 1984. This loss was exacerbated in 2005 when Hurricane Katrina’s powerful storm surge further degraded the fragile North Shore, leaving local communities more vulnerable to future storms and reducing the shoreline’s protective capacity.

This marsh loss has resulted in open water areas and scour ponds averaging 2 feet deep where marsh used to thrive. These deep-water zones near the lakeshore heighten erosion risks during storms, potentially allowing the lake to breach into ponds and introduce salt water into the wetlands that protect Fontainebleau State Park, Big Branch National Wildlife Refuge, and the St. Tammany Wildlife Refuge.

The Bayou Cane Marsh Creation project seeks to restore marsh habitat along 6 miles of the Northshore. This effort will complement two other CPRA initiatives— the Goose Point and Bayou Bonfuca Marsh Creation projects—to restore this vital nursery for a diverse range of native species, such as the endangered Gulf sturgeon.

With construction expected to begin in fiscal year 2026, the Bayou Cane Marsh Creation project will dredge the lake to create and nourish 558 acres of marsh, reinforcing the region’s natural defenses and ecological environment.

Part of this project was recently approved by CWPPRA task force to use as marsh mitigation for the River Reintroduction into Maurepas Swamp.