Through the Deepwater Horizon Restoration Funding stream of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund (GEBF), and on behalf of the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ), Covington created, developed, and submitted the largest project to date to NFWF to restore and create marsh in the Mississippi Sound. The $21M project took a unique programmatic approach and outlook to marsh restoration, leveraging USACE dredge funds to complete 220 acres of island restoration and marsh creation.
In 2016, Covington developed, designed, and submitted the first component of this programmatic approach for funding the creation of 220 acres of marsh at Round Island in the Mississippi Sound. The team conducted modeling and engineering studies, engineering design, bid package and procurement assistance, regulatory coordination and compliance, and construction and financial oversight.
The project required working collaboratively with multiple stakeholders and ultimately led to a coordinated Memorandum of Understanding between MDEQ, Mississippi Department of Marine Resources (MDMR), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), and the Port of Pascagoula.
The initial major construction phases of the project have been implemented and Round Island is currently one of the largest restoration projects located on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Through this one project, and due to the leveraging of the NFWF funds coupled with nearly $12 million in USACE dredge funds, the state of Mississippi was able to exceed Beneficial Use goals for this project while expending less than half of the anticipated cost.