Which state agencies does U.S. Aqua work with?

U.S. Aqua performs work for the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA), state departments of transportation including LADOTD and MDOT, the Alabama State Port Authority and other state port authorities, state wildlife and fisheries agencies, parish and county levee boards, and regional water management districts. Our state-administered project experience also includes federally funded work passed through state agencies under cost-share programs.

What is U.S. Aqua's largest state or regional agency project?

U.S. Aqua's flagship project at Jean Lafitte National Historical Park (JELA) is a $5.8 million marsh restoration and canal stabilization contract. The scope includes amphibious excavation in protected wetland environments, hydraulic dredging of historic canal corridors, beneficial use of dredged material for marsh creation, and post-construction restoration to environmental permit standards. The project demonstrates our capability to deliver large-scale specialty work in environmentally sensitive areas with strict reporting and compliance requirements.

Does U.S. Aqua support state DOT bridge and roadway projects?

Yes. U.S. Aqua supports state department of transportation projects that involve waterway crossings, bridge approach work, marsh and wetland fill, and access road construction in soft-soil terrain. Our marsh excavators and amphibious equipment access locations where conventional DOT contractors cannot operate, and we self-perform the specialty scopes that delay project schedules when subcontracted to general civil contractors.

What types of port authority work does U.S. Aqua perform?

U.S. Aqua performs maintenance dredging, placement area capacity restoration, containment dike construction and repair, beneficial use placement, and shoreline stabilization for port authorities along the Gulf Coast and Atlantic. Active and recent partners include the Alabama State Port Authority and South Carolina port facilities. We mobilize equipment by barge to port project sites and coordinate around active terminal operations.

How does CPRA contracting differ from federal USACE work?

Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) contracting follows Louisiana state procurement law rather than the Federal Acquisition Regulation. CPRA projects are funded through a combination of state, federal pass-through (RESTORE Act, Deepwater Horizon settlements), and dedicated coastal restoration revenue sources. Bonding, insurance, and reporting requirements are similar in scale to federal contracts, and many CPRA projects implement portions of the Louisiana Coastal Master Plan. U.S. Aqua is qualified for both contracting paths.

Can U.S. Aqua respond to emergency state and regional projects?

Yes. U.S. Aqua maintains rapid mobilization capability for emergency state and regional projects including post-storm channel reopening, levee breach repair, sediment removal after flooding, and shoreline stabilization following storm damage. Owned equipment, full-time crews, and Gulf Coast and Mid-Atlantic offices allow us to respond quickly when state agencies, parish governments, or regional authorities need specialty contractors on site.

Venice, Louisiana | Projects | U.S. Aqua Services

Service	Hydraulic Dredging · Oil & Gas Support
Region	Southeast Louisiana
Client Sector	Private industrial and evergy
Timeframe	June 2021
Scale	80,000 CY dredged (approx.)
Crew	Supervision, dredge technicians, equipment operators, boat captains, and laborers

The Challenge

A bayou providing the only marine access to a customer's energy infrastructure had silted in over years of natural sediment deposition. Water depth was no longer sufficient to float marine equipment to the location.

The channel and the area around the project site both had to be deepened prior to work taking place, and the dredge material had to be beneficially reused to comply with state and federal permits.

The Approach

U.S. Aqua mobilized a hydraulic dredge system and amphibious excavators to carry and spread material several thousand feet from the cut.

The crew ran 12-hour operations to reopen the bayou channel and clear the project site to required depth, with a marsh excavator and airboat supporting shoreline work and access. Dredged material was placed to build new marsh in an environmentally sensitive coastal environment.

Equipment Used

12" hydraulic dredge pump

Hydraulic power unit

Booster pump

12 inch HDPE dredge pipeline

Crane barge

Marsh excavator

Air boat

Complicating Factors

Active pipeline corridors in the work area requiring careful placement and clearance
Remote marsh access with no landside route, worked entirely on a full marine spread
Long discharge run requiring booster staging

Results

Bayou channel and project area restored to navigable depth
Barge access achieved; client started work on schedule
Dredged sediment beneficially reused to create new marsh, a habitat gain alongside the access work

Coastal Protection & Restoration Authority (CPRA)

Marsh restoration, ridge restoration, and beneficial use projects under the Louisiana Coastal Master Plan.

State Port Authorities

Maintenance dredging, placement area capacity restoration, containment dike construction, and dredge material management for the Alabama State Port Authority, South Carolina port facilities, and other Gulf and Atlantic port operations.

Parish & County Levee Boards

Levee construction and rehabilitation, drainage canal maintenance, and flood protection earthwork for parish-level levee districts, regional flood control authorities, and county drainage boards.

State Departments of Transportation

Bridge approach work, waterway crossings, marsh and wetland fill, and access road construction in soft-soil terrain for LADOTD, MDOT, and other state DOTs across the Gulf Coast and Mid-Atlantic.

State Wildlife & Fisheries Agencies

Habitat restoration, marsh creation, and waterway maintenance projects for state agencies including the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) on refuges, wildlife management areas, and public water bodies.

Regional Water Management Districts

Sediment removal, channel maintenance, and shoreline stabilization for regional water authorities, drainage districts, and conservation districts that manage Gulf Coast and Mid-Atlantic water resources.