Lake Fortuna, South Black Bay, Hackberry Bay and Sister Lake. Cultch material consists of limestone rock, crushed concre
Phase I Early Restoration Plan
Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Damage Assessment Trustee Council Deepwater Deepwater Horizon Horizon Natural Natural Resource Resource Damage Damage Assessment Assessment Trustee Trustee Council Council Deepwater Deepwater Deepwater Horizon Horizon Horizon Natural Natural Natural Resource Resource Resource Damage Damage Damage Assessment Assessment Assessment Trustee Trustee Trustee Council Council Council Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Damage Assessment Trustee Council Louisiana Oyster Cultch Project One Very GOOd Gulf restOratiOn PrOject
April 2012
General Project Description Project Background The Louisiana Oyster Cultch Project involves (1) the placement of oyster cultch onto approximately 850 acres of public
oyster seed grounds throughout coastal Louisiana, and (2) construction of an oyster hatchery facility that would produce supplemental larvae and seed. General Project DescriPtion
Project Details The cities of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, State of Alabama (Gulf State Park), and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge) the for Bureau of Land Management (Fort The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) will and contract the placement of cultch material ontoMorgan approximately of public seed grounds throughout coastal Louisiana, Gulf including 3-Mile Bay, Drum Bay, Beach) form850 theacres largest groupoyster of coastal land owners along the Alabama Coast. These owners colLake Fortuna, South Black Bay, Hackberry Bay and Sister Lake. Cultch material consists of limestone rock, crushed lectively own and/or manage approximately 18 to 20 miles of dune habitat. This restoration project would concrete, oyster shell and other similar material that, when placed in oyster spawning areas, provides a substrate on resultfree in swimming the formation a partnership, the grow Coastal Alabama Restoration Cooperative (CADRC), which oysterof larvae can attach and into oysters. TheDune Louisiana Oyster Cultch Project will employ to restore natural resourcesutilized that were injured by1917. the Deepwater Horizon oil spill response efforts. cultch planting approaches by LDWF since The second portion of the to Project involves constructing help facilitate and expedite success of The Trustees propose restore 55 acres of dunehatchery habitatsimprovements in Alabamatothat were affected by the Deepwater the cultch placement. In order to provide a supplemental source of oyster larvae and oyster seed, LDWF, in partnership Horizon oil spill, including response efforts, by planting native dune vegetation and installing sand fencing. with Louisiana Sea Grant, will contract to construct a new building adjacent to the existing Sea Grant oyster hatchery The proposed project help prevent erosion by restoring a “living shoreline,” a coastline protected by located at the LDWF facilitywill on Grand Isle, Louisiana.
plants and natural resources rather than hard structures.
Hatchery operations will include broodstock maintenance, algal cultivation, larvae production, and a nursery system. Project Details Larvae produced at the hatchery can be released into the water directly over cultch material or be remotely set on oyster cultch to create oyster seed. When remotely set oysters reach approximately 1 inch in length they will be moved from Planting: to a suitable growout area (i.e. public seed grounds). The facility is designed to produce 1 billion eyed the hatchery • For best sand stabilization and to • All larvae per plants season.will be grown from seeds or cuttings derived
limit wind erosion plants will be mixed in the following proportions: 70%oysters Sea oats grasses; 20% The •goal of the Louisiana Oyster(osmocote Cultch Project is to produce on public oyster seed Slow release fertilizer 18-6-12 e.g.) seed-sized will be and sack-sized grounds. Oysters were exposed to oil and dispersant, as well as response activities undertaken to prevent, minimize, or Panic grasses and smooth cord usedoiling to ensure proper establishment the plants. remediate from the Deepwater Horizon oilof spill. grasses, and 10% Ground covers • The plants will be installed 6” deep to ensure that sufficient (Sea purslane, Beach Elder, White Methods and Results of Offsets Estimation moisture is available to roots, and properly covered with morning glories and railroad vine), For thesand purposes of negotiations of Offsets with BP in accordance with the Early Restoration Framework Agreement, the to stabilize and protect the plants. and planted on 18-inch centers. Trustees used Resource Equivalency Analysis to estimate Offsets for the Louisiana Oyster Cultch Project, resulting in from the Alabama coast or North Florida to ensure apResource Benefits andstocks Relationship propriate genetic are usedtoinInjury the project.
Sand Fencing: expected production of oysters on cultch material over time. Offsets reflect estimated kilograms of oysters produced, and•willProtective be appliedsand against oyster that injuries in coastal Louisiana injured fencing lines the dune feature andby the Deepwater Horizon oil spill as determined by thecontributes Trustees’ total assessment of injury. The Trustees considered number of factors in estimating to sand accumulation along the toe of the adunes will be installed for theoyster citiesproduction, of including, but not limited to, typical oyster production in the proposed project area, estimated project life span and size Orange Beach and Gulf Shores and on Bureau of Land Management lands. of the project. Total estimated Offsets for the Louisiana Oyster Cultch Project are 4,000,000 discounted kilogram-years of oyster secondary production. Signage:
• Informative dune restoration signage will be placed on the project area at a rate of 10 to 25 Estimated Cost signs per mile.
The estimated cost to implement the Louisiana Oyster Cultch Project is $15,582,600. (Estimated costs for some of the projects were updated from those provided in the DERP/EA. Actual costs may differ depending on future contingencies, but will not exceed the amount shown without further agreement between the Trustees and BP.)
Phase I Early Restoration Plan
Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Damage Assessment Trustee Council Deepwater Deepwater Horizon Horizon Natural Natural Resource Resource Damage Damage Assessment Assessment Trustee Trustee Council Council Deepwater Deepwater Deepwater Horizon Horizon Horizon Natural Natural Natural Resource Resource Resource Damage Damage Damage Assessment Assessment Assessment Trustee Trustee Trustee Council Council Council Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Damage Assessment Trustee Council
April 2012
One Very GOOd Gulf restOratiOn PrOject
Project Background General Project DescriPtion The cities of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, State of Alabama (Gulf State Park), and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge) and the Bureau of Land Management (Fort Morgan Beach) form the largest group of coastal land owners along the Alabama Gulf Coast. These owners collectively own and/or manage approximately 18 to 20 miles of dune habitat. This restoration project would result in the formation of a partnership, the Coastal Alabama Dune Restoration Cooperative (CADRC), to restore natural resources that were injured by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill response efforts. The Trustees propose to restore 55 acres of dune habitats in Alabama that were affected by the Deepwater Louisiana oyster cultchplanting planting locations. Horizon oil spill, including response efforts,oyster by planting native dune vegetation and installing sand fencing. Louisiana clutch locations. The proposed project will help prevent erosion by restoring a “living shoreline,” a coastline protected by For more information contactrather : plants and natural resources than hard structures. Jenny Kurz ProjectNRDA Details Louisiana Public Information Officer
[email protected] Planting:
• All plants will be grown from seeds or cuttings derived from the Alabama coast or North Florida to ensure appropriate genetic stocks are used in the project. • Slow release fertilizer (osmocote 18-6-12 e.g.) will be used to ensure proper establishment of the plants. • The plants will be installed 6” deep to ensure that sufficient moisture is available to roots, and properly covered with sand to stabilize and protect the plants. Sand Fencing:
• For best sand stabilization and to limit wind erosion plants will be mixed in the following proportions: 70% Sea oats grasses; 20% Panic grasses and smooth cord grasses, and 10% Ground covers (Sea purslane, Beach Elder, White morning glories and railroad vine), and planted on 18-inch centers.
• Protective sand fencing that lines the dune feature and contributes to sand accumulation along the toe of the dunes will be installed for the cities of Orange Beach and Gulf Shores and on Bureau of Land Management lands. Signage:
• Informative dune restoration signage will be placed on the project area at a rate of 10 to 25 signs per mile.
