A freshwater diversion near Luling in St. Charles Parish has produced unexpected benefits for coastal restoration in southeastern Louisiana. Built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 2002, the Davis Pond Freshwater Diversion channels Mississippi River water into the Barataria Basin to prevent saltwater intrusion. The sediment carried by the river has raised the basin’s bottom and contributed to land formation, reversing decades of coastal erosion in the area.
Inspired by Davis Pond’s success, Louisiana planned two ambitious sediment diversion projects estimated at $4.8 billion combined. However, Governor Jeff Landry terminated both initiatives after taking office. He officially canceled the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion in July 2025 and its companion project, the Mid-Breton Sediment Diversion, citing concerns about impacts on the commercial fishing industry, including potential harm to shrimp and oyster beds.
Despite the cancellations, Louisiana’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority continues advancing diversion-based restoration strategies. Budget documents indicate the state plans to allocate at least $340 million toward five diversion projects over the coming years, a significant increase from previous spending on such initiatives. The majority of this funding will support restoration of Maurepas Swamp, a large wetland near Lake Pontchartrain northwest of New Orleans. This project, which began in 2024, will divert river water through gates in the Mississippi River levee to rebuild lost land and address saltwater intrusion affecting cypress and tupelo forests.
Additionally, the authority is reviving an older proposal called the Medium Diversion at Myrtle Grove, which would channel approximately one-third of the Mid-Barataria project’s water volume into the Barataria Basin while supplementing the effort through dredging and direct sediment pumping. CPRA scientists maintain that river diversions remain a sound coastal restoration approach, mimicking natural Mississippi River processes that built Louisiana’s coastal landscape over millennia.
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