Remove Trees and Replace Palmetto Trail Boardwalk Destroyed by Hurricane Katrina

The Palmetto Trail boardwalk is in the 22,000 acre Barataria Preserve, a natural area located about 15 miles south of New Orleans. This park unit interprets the natural and cultural history of the region's uplands, swamps, and marshlands. The 0.97 mile long boardwalk, which was constructed in 1985, connects the visitor center and Bayou Coquille parking lot, following the contours of an old levee between bottomland hardwood forests and baldcypress swamp. The trail includes five small bridges that span cuts through the levee.

The Palmetto Trail boardwalk was damaged during Hurricane Katrina (August, 2005) when winds in excess of 100 miles per hour and tornadoes snapped and uprooted hundreds of trees and shrubs. Falling trees and limbs damaged a significant portion of the wooden boardwalk and root balls from uprooted trees lifted sections of the boardwalk off its foundation. In addition, flooding during Hurricane Rita (September, 2005) caused whole sections of boardwalk to dislodge and slip off its foundation. The extensive structural damage and unsafe conditions required immediate closure of the trail after Hurricane Katrina.

The National Park Service proposes to replace the damaged Palmetto Trail boardwalk. Work to be conducted includes removing the existing boardwalk structure, rebuilding the trail with weather-resistant composite materials, and reinstalling the waterline.

Contact Information

Brian Strack
Chief of Maintenance
Jean Lafitte National Historical Park & Preserve
419 Decatur Street
New Orleans, LA 70130-1035

504-589-2133