Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority

Barrier Island System Management (BISM): Program Implementation and Tradeoff Analysis

Duration:
2023-Ongoing
Louisiana’s barrier island and headland systems are a critical component of the coastal system, providing ecosystem services such as habitat, wave and storm-surge buffering, and supporting sediment dynamics across the coast. Building on the Barrier Island System Management (BISM): Structured Decision-Making framework, this effort supports implementation of a long-term, system-wide approach to barrier island restoration and management.

The Challenge

Initial development of BISM established a structured decision-making (SDM) workflow to prioritize barrier island restoration projects based on system-wide objectives.  While this workflow enabled a more holistic and transparent approach, tools to quantitatively assess restoration alternatives and evaluate tradeoffs between cost, sediment use, and system benefits would streamline implementation

In addition, a data-driven approach would enable more robust analysis of potential restoration project portfolios, sediment resources, and future environmental uncertainties.

The Approach

In coordination with the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA), the Institute developed the Barrier Island Restoration Tradeoff Analysis (BIRTA) toolkit to support implementation of the BISM workflow.

The BIRTA toolkit is a system of datafiles and models linked together by a decision framework designed to leverage existing data sources; assess evolution of the Louisiana barrier island and headland system; analyze potential restoration alternatives, including sediment placement locations and use of available sediment sources; and facilitate project selection and prioritization to minimize costs while maximizing benefits to the coastal system.

The toolkit integrates metrics to describe the state of the coast, characteristics of coastal restoration templates and sediment sources, and predictive algorithms to evaluate how barrier island systems respond to restoration actions under varying environmental conditions. It supports exploration of future scenarios, including storms and sea level rise, and evaluates associated costs and benefits across restoration alternatives.

Through this approach, BIRTA operationalizes the BISM workflow by enabling a quantitative, analysis-driven evaluation of restoration strategies and supporting identification of project portfolios that balance long-term system performance with implementation costs.

Outcomes

This effort resulted in the development and application of the BIRTA toolkit to support implementation of the BISM program. Key outcomes include:

  • A system of data files and computational tools to support barrier island system assessment and restoration planning
  • Quantitative evaluation of restoration alternatives and tradeoffs between cost and system benefits
  • Development of prioritized restoration project portfolios and associated sediment source strategies
  • Estimates of sediment volume and funding needed to support long-term barrier island system management

The BIRTA toolkit supports ongoing implementation of BISM by providing a consistent, transparent, and quantitative framework for evaluating restoration strategies and informing decision-making for Louisiana’s coastal system.

Louisiana Barrier Island System Management (BISM): Structured Decision-Making

KEY TEAM MEMBERS

Patricia "Soupy" Dalyander

Principal for Research Strategies

Primary Investigator VIEW TEAM MEMBER
Diana Di Leonardo

Geoscientist

Primary Investigator VIEW TEAM MEMBER