CCA Louisiana and state officials are hoping to begin construction this spring on two inland artificial reefs in Southwest Louisiana and Plaquemines Parish to build new habitat that will support fisheries.

CCA Artificial Reef Coordinator John Walther said construction on a 4-acre reef in Calcasieu Lake (Big Lake) could begin in late March or early April. Project managers are currently waiting for final permits from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The 4-acre reef just south of Commissary Point will consist of 10,000 tons of concrete rubble recycled from Interstate 210 in Lake Charles. The concrete will be processed down to sizes of 12 inches or less in diameter before it is moved into place.

Executive Director David Cresson said CCA has worked with Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to develop a reef logistics program to identify, transport, store and deploy alternative reef materials to the reef sites.

"During these tight economic times, this is one of the creative and resourceful methods we are using to continue building new habitats to enhance and support our state's fisheries," Cresson said.

Walther said the project has been greatly aided by the support and coordination of the Lake Charles chapter members.

The second project, in Breton Sound just east of California Point, is set to begin construction this summer. Like the Big Lake reef, this project will also span four acres and consist of 10,000 tons of recycled concrete. Walther said project managers have identified a potential source for the recycled materials in Plaquemines Parish.

"We are very pleased to be able to get the environmental benefit of building new habitat rather than simply putting this old concrete into the waste system," Walther said.

The projects are funded by both the LDWF Artificial Reef Trust fund and the CCA Building Conservation Trust, which is an endowment from Shell Oil Co.

Construction of the Breton Sound project is also made possible by an $82,000 donation from Barrier Islands Restoration and Development Society (BIRDS) in Plaquemines Parish, an organization set up after Hurricane Katrina by Plaquemines Parish in order to accept donations made in response to the hurricane.