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TODAY WE'RE AT THE BUCKTOWN HARBOR PARK, WHICH IS THE START OF OUR BUCKTOWN LIVING SHORELINE.
SO A LIVING SHORELINE THAT'S GOING TO GO FROM BUCKTOWN ALL THE WAY TO VULNERABLE.
THAT'S ABOUT A MILE OF SHORELINE THAT WE ARE RESTORING HERE.
WE'RE KIND OF BRINGING THIS HISTORIC MARSH BACK.
IT WOULD'VE BEEN SOMETHING YOU WOULD'VE SEEN BEFORE.
THE LEVEES WERE BUILT BEFORE THE AREA OF MATTIE WAS REALLY BUILT OUT.
SOME OF THE BENEFITS OF THE MARSH THAT WE'RE DOING IS GONNA CREATE KIND OF A STORM RISK REDUCTION FOR THE LEVEE, BUT ALSO PRE PROVIDE HABITAT FOR BIRDS, FISHES, PROBABLY ALLIGATORS AND JUST A LOT OF DIFFERENT CRITTERS THAT WE'LL SEE OUT HERE ON THE LAKEFRONT.
THE BUCKTOWN LIVING SHORELINE HAS BEEN BUILT IN SEVERAL DIFFERENT PHASES.
ALMOST A YEAR AGO WE STARTED BUILDING, UM, WHAT WE CALL BREAKWATERS.
AND THESE ARE MOUNDS OF ROCK THAT ARE POSITIONED ABOVE THE WATER LINE.
AND THOSE CAME IN FIRST BECAUSE THEY HELPED TO KEEP DOWN, UM, WAVE ACTION.
AND SO THEY REALLY BREAK THE WATER.
IT'S WHY THEY KIND OF CALLED BREAKWATERS.
AND SO ONCE THOSE WENT IN, THEN WE STARTED THIS PHASE THAT THIS CURRENT PHASE WE'RE IN, WHICH IS THE ACTUAL BUILDING OF THE MARSH.
AND SO THE FIRST THING WITH THAT IS BUILDING UP SOME EARTH AND CONTAINMENT DIKES.
THESE WERE USED MUD TO KIND OF BUILD A BERM.
AND NOW WHAT WE'RE DOING TODAY AND THIS MONTH OF JULY IS PUMPING MUD INTO THOSE CONTAINMENT DIKES.
SO THE MUD THAT'S BEING PUMPED IN IS COMING FROM A BORROW AREA THAT'S AT THE BOTTOM OF LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN.
AND SO THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT MATERIAL COMING THROUGH THAT.
WE'VE GOT CLAY, WE'VE GOT SAND.
UM, SOMETIMES WE GET RANGIE A CLAMSHELLS.
SO IT'S JUST A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS COMING FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE LAKE.
AND THAT'S ALL GONNA KIND OF BUILD IN THERE AND CREATE THAT MARSH PLATFORM, THAT AREA THAT'S GONNA KIND OF SETTLE DOWN AND CREATE A PLACE FOR US TO COME BACK IN THE FUTURE.
AND PLANT PLANTS, PLANT TREES, PLANT THE RIGHT KIND OF GRASSES THAT YOU WOULD SEE ALONG THE LAKE, THE LAKEFRONT THAT ARE GONNA THRIVE HERE, THINGS THAT THE ANIMALS ARE GONNA BE ABLE TO LIVE IN AS THAT MARSH CONTINUES TO KIND OF CONSOLIDATE DOWN AND GET STRONGER.
WE'RE GOING TO COME BACK PROBABLY ABOUT A YEAR TO 18 MONTHS FROM NOW WITH ANOTHER CONTRACT AND EXCAVATE WHAT WE CALL TIDAL CREEKS AND A BLUE WAY.
SO RIGHT NOW, WHEN WHEN WE OPEN, THERE WILL BE AREAS TO KAYAK, BUT IN THE FUTURE THERE'S GONNA BE EVEN MORE AREAS TO KAYAK.
IT'S KIND OF THAT IDEA OF LIKE, BE ABLE TO KAYAK THROUGH A MARSH RIGHT HERE ON LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN.
AND THAT'S ALL GONNA TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME, BUT WE'RE EXCITED TO KIND OF GIVE THIS MARSH THE TIME TO, TO SETTLE DOWN, CONSOLIDATE, AND COME BACK AND EXCAVATE OUT JUST ENOUGH OF AN AREA SO SOMEONE COULD KIND OF LIKE KAYAK IN ONE WAY, KAYAK BACK OUT THE OTHER WAY.
UM, AND FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, THAT'S WHERE THE FISHING'S GONNA BE.
AND THE MORE GREEN SPACES WE HAVE, THE BETTER THE QUALITY OF LIFE'S GONNA BE FOR ALL OF US.