The Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans held ceremonies
on June 9 marking completion of its $2 million water quality project
designed to help improve the ecology of Lake Pontchartrain and
to restore the waters of Lincoln Beach for swimming and fishing.
City and state elected officials joined the Board for the event,
along with representatives of the scientific and environmental
community, garden clubs, civic and business groups and churches.
The Supplemental Environmental Program (SEP), as it is called, consists of several
components: the planting of submersed aquatic vegetation (SAV)
in waters bordering the east and west sides of the old Lincoln
Beach site, the construction and preservation of emergent wetland
areas to help protect the SAV, establishment of an arboretum in
the upland wooded areas of the project site and participation
with the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation, Tulane University
and the EPA in the development of a Water Quality Predictive Model.
S&WB Deputy Director Marcia St. Martin, said, "The Board
is proud of this unique and creative environmental project which
will help improve the waters of Lake Pontchartrain and
serve as an educational adventure for students, scientists and
environmentalists for years to come. Lake Pontchartrain is making
an incredible comeback. Water quality is improving daily throughout
the lake and the water at Lincoln Beach is again fit for swimming
for the first time in more than 40 years."
The Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation's aggressive programs
and resources are focusing on further water quality improvement
projects for the lake; the University of New Orleans built its
Research and Technology Park on its shoreline, and the City's
Master Plan calls for the redevelopment of the historic Lincoln
Beach site as a premier recreational facility for generations
to come.
Mrs. St. Martin added, "This project blends perfectly with
the future of the lake and Lincoln Beach. It provides a scientific
solution to a water quality challenge and, at the same time, benefits
citizens through an improved environment in which to live and
play."
The SEP was developed as a condition of settlement of the 1998
Consent Decree the Board entered into with the EPA, when the Board
agreed to develop a project which would benefit the entire community.
The S&WB's environmental and executive staffs created the
project to meet the goals of EPA and the environmental community
and benefit the citizens of New Orleans. With the Board's approval
and EPA's authorization, the project was developed with the goal
of helping return the Lincoln Beach site to swimming and fishing.
SAV has long been recognized as necessary for fish and wildlife
nursery and habitat and is an indicator of the ecological vitality
of the lake. Dr. Michael Poirrier of the University of
New Orleans is a world renowned expert on SAV in Lake Pontchartrain
and worked to design and oversee the installation and monitoring of SAV for this project.
Burk-Kleinpeter Inc. was the consulting engineering firm.
According to S&WB officials, the knowledge gained from the
SEP will be used to help in propagation of SAV areas elsewhere
in the Lake Pontchartrain Basin and other similar regions of the
United States.
Gordon Austin, S&WB chief of environmental affairs, said,
"The emergent wetland areas, upland buffer zones and arboretum
areas protect and nurture the SAV areas, provide environmental
education opportunities and create an outdoor classroom setting
for local schools and universities. The overlook areas allow students
and others interested in SAV to survey the SAV areas without disturbing
the project. The arboretum provides a setting to enjoy and identify
the plants and trees native to the Pontchartrain region."
The Predictive Model provides health authorities a more accurate
and timely tool to determine water quality conditions and suitability
of the waters for swimming and other recreational uses. The model
is available for use by EPA and other local authorities at beaches
throughout the world to help promote safe recreational use.
Board officials say the SEP will improve and revitalize the environment
of Lincoln Beach and serve as a catalyst for the redevelopment
of the beach as a recreation site. The SEP and Master Plan will
preserve the historical significance of Lincoln Beach and help
bolster social and economic wellness in New Orleans East. As a
result, the community will have access to the lake and a recreational
area to be enjoyed by many future generations.
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