Located west of Lake Pontchartrain, the Maurepas Swamp was once naturally connected to the Mississippi River and received a steady supply of freshwater, and maintained a nutrient-rich, healthy ecosystem. Logging, digging of nearby canals, and introducing man-made levees, which cut off the swamp from the river’s rejuvenating floodwaters and allowed saltwater to seep in, contributed to the swamp’s degradation over the last century.

As of late 2025, the first phase of construction is nearly complete for the River Reintroduction into Maurepas Swamp, including clearing, excavating, and building guide levees through approximately three miles of Hope Canal between U.S. Highway 61 and Interstate 10.

In 2026, CPRA will begin soliciting bids for the remaining construction phases. These phases will focus on building gates along the Mississippi River levee and completing the final two miles of the channel to connect Hope Canal to the river gate structure. The gates will open periodically throughout the year, allowing fresh, oxygenated water, nutrients, and fine-grain sediments to flow approximately five miles through the conveyance channel into surrounding swamps and wetlands. Once complete, the project will reintroduce Mississippi River water into the Maurepas Swamp, restoring natural flows that once sustained healthy wetlands and forests. The project will enhance more than 45,000 acres of habitat across Ascension, Livingston, St. James, and St. John the Baptist parishes on the East Bank of the Mississippi River.

The 220-square-mile Maurepas Swamp is the second-largest coastal forest remaining in Louisiana and provides quality habitat for native plants, trees, birds, and other wildlife. Recognized as a continentally important Bird Area by the National Audubon Society, many species of ducks, herons, egrets, and songbirds, as well as bald eagles, can be found within its borders.

The River Reintroduction into Maurepas Swamp Project is anticipated to be completed by 2030.