Urban Waters Partnership

Urban Waters and the Lake Pontchartrain Area/New Orleans (Louisiana)

New Orleans/Lake Pontchartrain Area, Louisiana

At over 40 miles wide, Lake Pontchartrain is the second largest inland saltwater body in the United States. It covers 630 square miles, serves six Louisiana parishes and 1.5 million people. Though classified as a lake, Lake Pontchartrain is technically an estuary that connects to the Gulf of Mexico. Lake Pontchartrain has suffered devastating hurricane effects and been adversely affected by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill.

While the community continues to recover, Lake Pontchartrain remains a vital resource for economic development, recreation and sustainability. The lakeshore has historically been utilized by a wide range of New Orleans' diverse community members. The Urban Waters partnership seeks to reconnect citizens to the lake by:

revitalizing abandoned lakeshore areas
restoring damaged structures
improving access and
educating citizens about the environment.

Initial areas of Focus selected for the Urban Waters Partnership effort include:

West End – Reconstruction of the New Canal Lighthouse and the West End fishing pier destroyed by Katrina.
Pontchartrain Beach – Reconstruction of beach facilities destroyed by Katrina.
East End Area – Construction of safe and accessible fishing pier facilities in Eastern New Orleans.
University of New Orleans (UNO) Research Facility – Partnering with UNO to expand the use of Shea Penland Coastal Education and Research Facility.
Lafitte Corridor/Bayou St. John – Development of greenway connecting French Quarter to Lake Pontchartrain.