Floating Islands Project off to Successful Start
Sunday, October 30, 2011 | SourceFloating Islands Project off to successful start Sunday, 30 October 2011 14:29 CCA's Floating Islands Project completed in September is off to a fast start, project managers found during a recent inspection. The Floating Islands' matrix, which is made of recycled plastic, is comprised of native plant species and will allow them to grow a root system to the water bottom.
The plants will trap sediments and eventually grow toward and tie into the remaining marsh, strengthening it into a sustainable, flourishing mass. Nicole Waguespack, President of Martin Ecosystems, which designed the matrix technology, visited the site in late October and was very pleased with what she found. Waguespack said the plants looked healthy and green and averaged close to four feet tall, a growth of almost two feet since they were planted. There was no damage from insects or nutria, common problems in these types of projects, she said. Waguespack said there were plenty of seeds on the plants and roots have already begun to appear beneath the island. "We were pretty surprised that there was that much root growth," she said. Bayou Chapter President Ryan Richard said CCA is committed to monitoring and maintaining the project closely as it grows and matures. "This is such a powerful tool to help restore the marsh ecosystem, and our members are excited about volunteering to maintain such an important project," Richard said. The Floating Islands project has been spearheaded for the past two years by the CCA Bayou Chapter and CCA's Building Conservation Program in partnership with Shell Oil Company, Terrebonne Parish Government, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, America's Wetlands, Entergy, Enterprise Products and Apache Louisiana Minerals LLC. The project is the first to use "floating islands" technology, developed by Martin EcoSystems, in an open-water application in the marine environment, although the technique has been used for shoreline stabilization in conjunction with hurricane protection levees in south Louisiana. About 1,500 linear feet of the islands were installed using two types of marsh grass - smooth cord in the center and seashore paspalum on the edges - to create a habitat component.
