MDEQ and MDMR Advise Fishermen and Residents to Avoid Construction Area
(BILOXI, Miss.) — The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) and the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources (MDMR) are advising fishermen and local residents to avoid fishing, crabbing, and shrimping activities in and around the construction area of the Hancock County Marsh Living Shoreline project from now until the end of 2016.
The construction area affected by Phase 1 of the project extends from the mouth of the Pearl River to the western edge of Heron Bay and from the existing shoreline south approximately 750 to 1,000 feet. Marine construction equipment and vessels will be actively working within this zone and should be avoided. Barges containing rock and construction equipment are being staged in and around the mouth of the Pearl River for the startup of construction on Phases 1 and 4 of the project.
The $50 million dollar Hancock County Marsh Living Shoreline restoration project will construct up to 5.9 miles of living shoreline which will be located between Bayou Caddy and the mouth of the Pearl River. In addition, approximately 46 acres of marsh will be constructed to protect and enhance the existing shoreline, and 46 acres of subtidal oyster reef will be created in Heron Bay to increase secondary productivity in the area.
Once complete, the living shoreline will help protect the Hancock County Marsh complex that includes freshwater, estuarine, marine, and submerged habitats. Proposed design techniques will incorporate natural and artificial breakwater materials. Near Heron Bay, some 46 acres of marsh creation and 46 acres of subtidal oyster reefs are being proposed in combination with the living shoreline.
For more information on the Hancock County Marsh Living Shoreline project, please visit www.restore.ms.
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