This is a planning project that includes engineering and design of the Golden Triangle Marsh Creation project, leading to construction-ready plans and specifications and the development of an adaptive management plan to guide decision-making for future project maintenance activities. The proposed Golden Triangle Marsh Creation project, if implemented in the future, would restore and protect approximately 600 acres of valuable wetland, fish, and wildlife habitat within the Golden Triangle, a narrow band of brackish marsh directly east of New Orleans between Lake Borgne and the confluence of the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. Because the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal/Lake Borgne Surge Barrier stretches across the Golden Triangle Marsh, these wetlands provide an important natural buffer in the multiple lines of defense protecting geographically and socially vulnerable communities in New Orleans from storm surge. In addition, the Golden Triangle Marsh falls within – and would enhance if fully implemented – the Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge, which includes fresh and brackish marshes, coastal hardwood forest, and serves as valuable wildlife, fish, and shellfish habitat. Golden Triangle Marsh Creation (PO-163) Biological Oyster Assessment

Outreach data Available Upon Request This project is part of the Connecting Coastal Waters initiative NOAA would lead with partners to implement projects that restore the extent, functionality, and resiliency of Gulf Coast wetlands. This project would restore a natural hydrology to a total of 470 acres of wetlands at three sites within the Mobile Bay ecosystem in Alabama. At each site, this project would implement restoration activities, conduct monitoring to assess restoration outcomes, and engage in outreach and educational activities with restoration practitioners and stakeholders.

This project is part of the Connecting Coastal Waters initiative NOAA would lead with partners to implement projects that restore the extent, functionality, and resiliency of Gulf Coast wetlands. This project would restore a natural hydrology to a total of 470 acres of wetlands at three sites within the Mobile Bay ecosystem in Alabama. At each site, this project would implement restoration activities, conduct monitoring to assess restoration outcomes, and engage in outreach and educational activities with restoration practitioners and stakeholders.

This is a planning project that includes engineering and design of the Biloxi Marsh Living Shoreline project, leading to construction-ready plans and specifications and the development of an adaptive management plan to guide decision-making for future project maintenance activities. The Biloxi Marshes consist of approximately 49,000 hectares of brackish and salt marshes, which provide important storm buffer for New Orleans (a world-famous cultural and economic center for the Gulf region) as well as key habitat and ecosystem services. The marshes have been greatly impacted by shoreline erosion from wind-driven waves. The proposed Biloxi Marsh Living Shoreline project, if implemented in the future, would create approximately 47,000 feet of bioengineered oyster barrier reef fringing the marshes, which would reduce shoreline erosion and recession, prevent further marsh degradation, promote community resilience, and enhance local fisheries and oyster production. Technical memorandum and detailed data collection plan

This is a planning project that includes engineering and design of the Biloxi Marsh Living Shoreline project, leading to construction-ready plans and specifications and the development of an adaptive management plan to guide decision-making for future project maintenance activities. The Biloxi Marshes consist of approximately 49,000 hectares of brackish and salt marshes, which provide important storm buffer for New Orleans (a world-famous cultural and economic center for the Gulf region) as well as key habitat and ecosystem services. The marshes have been greatly impacted by shoreline erosion from wind-driven waves. The proposed Biloxi Marsh Living Shoreline project, if implemented in the future, would create approximately 47,000 feet of bioengineered oyster barrier reef fringing the marshes, which would reduce shoreline erosion and recession, prevent further marsh degradation, promote community resilience, and enhance local fisheries and oyster production. 95% Design Report for Biloxi Marsh Living Shoreline Project (PO-0174)

This is a planning project that includes engineering and design of the Biloxi Marsh Living Shoreline project, leading to construction-ready plans and specifications and the development of an adaptive management plan to guide decision-making for future project maintenance activities. The Biloxi Marshes consist of approximately 49,000 hectares of brackish and salt marshes, which provide important storm buffer for New Orleans (a world-famous cultural and economic center for the Gulf region) as well as key habitat and ecosystem services. The marshes have been greatly impacted by shoreline erosion from wind-driven waves. The proposed Biloxi Marsh Living Shoreline project, if implemented in the future, would create approximately 47,000 feet of bioengineered oyster barrier reef fringing the marshes, which would reduce shoreline erosion and recession, prevent further marsh degradation, promote community resilience, and enhance local fisheries and oyster production. Construction Bid Documents

This is a planning project that includes engineering and design of the Golden Triangle Marsh Creation project, leading to construction-ready plans and specifications and the development of an adaptive management plan to guide decision-making for future project maintenance activities. The proposed Golden Triangle Marsh Creation project, if implemented in the future, would restore and protect approximately 600 acres of valuable wetland, fish, and wildlife habitat within the Golden Triangle, a narrow band of brackish marsh directly east of New Orleans between Lake Borgne and the confluence of the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. Because the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal/Lake Borgne Surge Barrier stretches across the Golden Triangle Marsh, these wetlands provide an important natural buffer in the multiple lines of defense protecting geographically and socially vulnerable communities in New Orleans from storm surge. In addition, the Golden Triangle Marsh falls within – and would enhance if fully implemented – the Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge, which includes fresh and brackish marshes, coastal hardwood forest, and serves as valuable wildlife, fish, and shellfish habitat. (PO-163) Data Gap Analysis

This is a planning project that includes engineering and design of the Golden Triangle Marsh Creation project, leading to construction-ready plans and specifications and the development of an adaptive management plan to guide decision-making for future project maintenance activities. The proposed Golden Triangle Marsh Creation project, if implemented in the future, would restore and protect approximately 600 acres of valuable wetland, fish, and wildlife habitat within the Golden Triangle, a narrow band of brackish marsh directly east of New Orleans between Lake Borgne and the confluence of the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. Because the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal/Lake Borgne Surge Barrier stretches across the Golden Triangle Marsh, these wetlands provide an important natural buffer in the multiple lines of defense protecting geographically and socially vulnerable communities in New Orleans from storm surge. In addition, the Golden Triangle Marsh falls within – and would enhance if fully implemented – the Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge, which includes fresh and brackish marshes, coastal hardwood forest, and serves as valuable wildlife, fish, and shellfish habitat.

This hydrologic analysis for Twelve Mile Creek provides computed discharge rates for use in the design and engineering of the stream restoration. A hydrologic model was developed in order to determine discharges throughout the watershed. The Gridded Surface Subsurface Hydrologic Analysis (GSSHA) model was used for the analysis. A copy of the hydrologic analysis can be found in Appendix D of the final report to RESTORE. The report is available from the MBNEP upon request (contact kdylewski@mobilebaynep.com).

The Mobile Bay Estuary Program (MBNEP) – RESTORE Project Planning activity includes engineering and design of a stream restoration plan for restoring Twelve Mile Creek, one of six main tributaries within the Three Mile Creek Watershed; development of an invasive species control program focused on aquatic vegetation in Three Mile Creek; preparation of necessary environmental compliance and regulatory clearances documentation; quality assurance; and pre-restoration monitoring. The Planning activity of the MBNEP RESTORE project will ensure that the implementation phase, if funded, can proceed in a timely and fully compliant manner, and will include adequate baseline monitoring data to measure results following implementation. MBNEP will be responsible for ensuring timely initiation and completion of the project elements, including compliance, monitoring and reporting requirements. Implementation of this project is described below in the Category 2 projects under activity with Unique Identifier EPA_RESTORE_002_004_Cat2. Three Mile Creek and its surrounding watershed present an extraordinary opportunity for the cities of Mobile and Prichard, AL to transform a community liability into a waterway destination. Crossing and draining suburban and urban landscapes of greater Mobile, Alabama, it suffers from the negative effects of stormwater runoff and decaying infrastructure including trash/litter, bacteria from sewage (pathogens), excessive nutrients, invasive species, and erosion and sedimentation. If the stream restoration design and invasive species control and eradication were implemented, the project would lay the foundation for improving dissolved oxygen concentrations within the creek, thus restoring a healthy aquatic ecosystem and fishery.