News Room
October 8, 2026
Media Contact: Alisha Sheth
Senior PR Manager
Email: alisha@boatus.com
HOUMA, Louisiana., Oct. 8, 2026 - Today, the BoatUS Foundation and Terrebonne Parish Consolidated Government (TPCG) announced the removal of two abandoned and derelict vessels (ADVs) from waterways across Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana, a major milestone in the parish's effort to clear its bayous of sunken and derelict boats.
The removal, which ran October 6-7, targeted vessels throughout the Terrebonne Basin, part of the Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary. These abandoned boats have sat idle in local waterways for years, becoming navigational and pollution hazards that threaten the clean, safe and navigable bayous the region depends on for its economy, lifestyle and culture. Clearing these hazards improves access for commercial and recreational fishing, boating and tourism activities like swamp tours and bird watching.
The project plans to remove about 75 vessels total. Crews have already pulled nearly 50 from the water, including the two this week.
"In Terrebonne Parish, bayous are more than just waterways. They are central to who we are, our history and our culture," said Chief Administrative Officer of the Terrebonne Parish Consolidated Government Noah Lirette. "Removing these vessels is how we keep these waterways safe and open for the people who depend on them."
The effort, funded by a grant from the BoatUS Foundation, is part of a larger national initiative to remove hundreds of ADVs from waterways, supported by a 2023 award from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Marine Debris Program. Terrebonne Parish is one of 10 organizations across five states, one reservation and two territories to receive support under this national program.
"This partnership with the BoatUS Foundation is proving what local and national partners can do together," said President of the Terrebonne Parish Consolidated Government Jason Bergeron. "Removing these vessels from our local waterways is a real step forward for Terrebonne."
For BoatUS Foundation, the removal marks significant progress for a project years in the making.
"Terrebonne Parish is determined to clear its waterways of derelict vessels, and this removal helps them do just that," said BoatUS Foundation Program Manager Michael Moore. "Every boat we pulled out means safer passage and cleaner waterways for the boaters, tour operators and families who depend on these bayous every day. That's what this program is built to do."
BoatUS Foundation's national ADV program includes a public database to report and track abandoned vessels across the United States, U.S. territories and the Freely Associated States. The BoatUS Foundation is also hosting the Turning the Tide Summit on December 6-9, 2026 in New Orleans, bringing together industry leaders, environmental stakeholders and waste management experts to work on removal, recycling and prevention solutions for ADVs.
The summit, just 55 miles from the Terrebonne Basin, is part of the Foundation's pioneering effort to bring people together from across the country to proactively solve the problem of abandoned boats, both locally and nationally.
To report an abandoned or derelict vessel in your area, submit a report here. If you're interested in attending the Turning the Tide Summit, register here.
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ABOUT THE BOATUS FOUNDATION:
BoatUS Foundation is supporting projects that were selected through their nationally competitive grant program for the removal of abandoned and derelict vessels throughout coastal and marine areas of the United States, including the Great Lakes, U.S. territories and Freely Associated States. In an effort to help educate and prevent future ADVs, the Foundation also created a national ADV database to track the scope of the challenge and measure success, document ADV prevention and removal activities to share with the public, and support a national dialogue and education efforts on boating-related debris disposal. This project is supported by a 2023 award from the NOAA Marine Debris Program.
ABOUT THE TERREBONNE PARISH CONSOLIDATED GOVERNMENT:
One of the most southern of all Louisiana parishes, Terrebonne Parish was established on March 22, 1822, from the southern part of Lafourche Interior. Covering an area of 2,100 square miles, it is the second-largest parish in the state.