Lake Pontchartrain Basin Restoration Program

Pursuant to a permanent injunction issued by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana on August 22, 2024, EPA will not impose or enforce any disparate-impact or cumulative-impact-analysis requirements under Title VI against any entity in the State of Louisiana. Click here for additional and updated information.

About the Program

The purpose of the Clean Water Act Section 121 (33 U.S.C. 1273) Lake Pontchartrain Basin Restoration Program is to restore the ecological health of the Basin by developing and funding restoration projects and related scientific and public education projects to reduce the risk of pollution.

EPA invests section 121 funds to maintain, protect and restore the water quality of the Basin by addressing the challenges listed in the 1995 Comprehensive Conservation Management Plan and 2006 Comprehensive Habitat Management Plan: sewage and agricultural runoff; stormwater runoff; saltwater intrusion /wetland loss; and impacts to other natural habitats of the Pontchartrain Basin, including pine upland forest, flatland savannah, riverine, alluvial river swamp and Tupelo swamp. The Comprehensive Conservation Management Plan recommends implementing activities such as agricultural assistance programs for dairy farmers and cattle ranchers, septic tank education programs, urban stormwater runoff treatment projects, water quality improvement projects, bioremediation, constructed wetlands, shoreline protection, hydrologic restoration, artificial reefs, freshwater and sediment diversions, and beach replenishment. The Comprehensive Conservation Management Plan will be revised to inform future Basin planning and decision making. The Lake Pontchartrain Basin Restoration Program is an EPA Geographic Program which receives annual base funding. For more information, visit EPA Geographic Programs website and Sam.gov.

Program Documents

Comprehensive Conservation Management Plan 1995 (2024 Addendum)) (pdf) (3.49 MB)

Comprehensive Habitat Management Plan 2006 (pdf) (7.5 MB)

Operational Procedures/Organizational Parameters FY23 (pdf) (221.47 KB)

PRP Management Conference Organizations (pdf) (64.06 KB)

CCMP Update

Currently the PRP CCMP is undergoing an update. For more information please contact Blair Bourgeois (bbourgeois@thebeachuno.org).

Funding Opportunity

There are no funding opportunities open at this time.

Meetings

Upcoming Meeting - None at this time

Last Meeting Date - November 4, 2024

For more information about meetings and to access meeting materials please visit the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Restoration Program Meetings page.

Past Funding Opportunities

To see past funding opportunities, please visit the Past Funding Opportunities page.

Past Projects Funded

To see projects that have been funded under this program, please visit the Past Projects Funded page.

For more information, please contact:

Nelly Smith (smith.nelly@epa.gov) - 214-665-7109