BATON ROUGE, LA, Jan. 8, 2009 -- ARCADIS, the international consulting and engineering company, has been selected to provide design services for the Violet Freshwater Diversion Project, one of Louisiana's top priority coastal restoration projects. The total value of the contract is $6 million.
ARCADIS will provide engineering design services that will determine the cost effectiveness and environmental acceptability of diverting Mississippi River water in the vicinity of Violet, LA, into the Biloxi Marshes and Mississippi Sound.
The Violet Freshwater Diversion Project is a major feature in the Louisiana Master Plan for Hurricane Protection and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Program. The Violet diversion will create favorable salinity conditions, reduce the loss of marshes and wooded swamps, and increase fish and wildlife productivity in the impacted area. Peak freshwater diversion may be in the range of 5,000 to 20,000 cubic feet per second (CFS). The final designs will be submitted by the state of Louisiana to the Corps of Engineers for project implementation and construction.
"The Violet Freshwater Diversion project is more than just pure ecosystem restoration -- it is also the re-building of the essential storm surge buffer around the urban areas of greater New Orleans and St. Bernard Parish," said Rudolfo Guichard, ARCADIS vice president. "Re-establishing the hydrologic connectivity of the Mississippi River is a critical feature of the components that make up multiple lines of the defense storm surge protection system. The levee system protecting the urban areas of greater New Orleans and St. Bernard Parish will be much more effective with a healthy marsh apron in front of them. Added to the impacts of improved water quality in the Mississippi Sound, the project benefits are far-reaching."
"ARCADIS is very pleased to serve this important region of the United States," said Falcolm Hull, ARCADIS vice president/technical expert. "It is an honor to contribute to the reconstruction of Louisiana and help provide coastal protection to this area. We look forward to using our resources to meet the goals of the project."
ARCADIS is an international company providing consultancy, engineering and management services in infrastructure, environment and buildings, to enhance mobility, sustainability and quality of life.
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