PORT FOURCHON, La., - Soldiers of the Louisiana National Guard’s 527th and 769th Engineer Battalions, 225th Engineer Brigade, completed the Hesco basket barrier wall today on the shoreline of Port Fourchon.
The purpose of the 2.5 mile barrier wall is to protect Bay Champagne from encroaching oil. Bay Champagne is a coastal lake critical to Louisiana’s wildlife and its seafood industries.
“The guys here worked really hard to protect the estuaries behind the wall. It’s good to complete a project where you can visibly see the success of your work,” said 2nd Lt. Joshua Johnson, a member of the 928th Sapper Company, 769th Engineer Battalion.
The project began on May 21 and involved the emplacement of about 1,000 linked Hesco Concertainer basket units along the beach. The units, comprised of five Hesco baskets each, were filled with about 7,500 pounds of sand.
The National Guard was assisted in this mission by British Petroleum personnel and other civilian contract workers.