Coastal Conservation Association of Louisiana has announced plans to build a set of new artificial reefs in South Marsh Island Block 233, on a former speckled trout fishing hotspot where oil and gas platforms have been removed.  The new reef complex will be named in honor of Lafayette area conservation legend Ted Beaullieu, Sr.

Along with conservation partners Chevron, CCA’s Building Conservation Trust and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, CCA Louisiana plans to build three individual reef sites using a variety of recycled concrete “materials of opportunity.”  The materials will include recycled platform legs, highway barriers and construction materials that have been made available to CCA and approved for use on the project.

The reefs will replace habitat in an area where oil and gas platforms have been removed that was once a favorite of speckled trout anglers.  Each of the three new reefs will cover 1.5 to 2 acres, and together will span a total area of roughly 5 to 6 acres.  Each reef will be designed to optimize the water and bottom conditions with the hopes of creating the best possible fish habitat.

CCA Louisiana will name the project after Mr. Beaullieu, Sr. in honor of his lifetime of service to Louisiana’s coast. Beaullieu is a member of the CCA Louisiana Hall of Fame, created the CCA Louisiana Ted Beaullieu, Sr. Scholarship (given annually to a ULL student) and has been recognized for his conservation leadership by numerous national organizations.  There will be a formal dedication ceremony when construction begins.

CCA expects to begin work on the Beaullieu, Sr. Reef in the next two months.  Once work starts, the project should take less than two weeks to complete.

This will be the 24^th reef project by CCA Louisiana in recent years, representing more than $10 million in habitat creation.  It will be CCA’s second reef project built on the site of removed oil and gas platforms.  The first was the “Pickets Reef” in Ship Shoal Block 26 (built in 2014), one of the most popular and productive projects ever completed by CCA.

Funding for the project will come from CCA Louisiana, Chevron, CCA’s Building Conservation Trust and LDWF’s Artificial Reef Trust Fund, as well individual gifts from CCA Louisiana REEF Club members. In-kind donation will be provided by DLS Energy and Road Rock Recycling.

CCA Louisiana is working on plans for other new reefs where platforms have been removed, including projects in Vermilion Blocks 119 and 124, Eugene Island Blocks 51 and 74, and other popular sites across Louisiana.  These projects are part of a program being developed by CCA, LDWF and our partners to rebuild fisheries habitat on the sites of removed platforms.

Members will receive more information about the Ted Beaullieu, Sr. Reef and CCA’s other upcoming projects in the coming weeks.