http://www.theoutdoorwire.com/image_archive/2046092.jpeg> Pilings installed near base of the Port Eads Lighthouse which was originally built in 1881 and has withstood dozens of hurricanes including Katrina.

Fishermen and offshore workers witness progress that few other see at one of Louisiana's most unique historical sites, Port Eads. Located in South Pass 33 miles south of Venice, Port Eads sits at the southernmost tip of Louisiana and is only accessible by boat.

In 2005, Hurricane Katrina substantially damaged the marina and facilities. The old Port Eads Lighthouse, an iron-structure built in 1881, withstood the hurricane and still stands tall.

So far progress has been made demolishing the damaged structures and driving new pilings. The historic project is expected to be completed in about a year.

"Port Eads is a place that helps Louisiana carry the title of Sportsman's Paradise. It's legendary amongst fishermen and we look forward to the day when anglers once again stop at Port Eads on their way to and from the blue water," said Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser.

In 1879 James Buchanan Eads opened the port of New Orleans to world commerce when he built "Ead's Jetties." The jetties narrowed South Pass so the force of the river would dredge a deeper navigation channel. This allowed larger steamships to enter the river and greatly increased the ship trade.

Port Eads became known around the world. For more than a century, deep water boats, commercial fishermen, recreational fishermen, and oil industry vessels stopped at Port Eads for safe harbor, fuel, or supplies. Another factor in the notoriety of Port Eads is that it served as the location of the New Orleans Big Game Fishing Club from 1962 until Katrina. NOBGFC removed the pictures that covered the walls and has them saved in storage, a question asked post-Katrina by many who tied up to the renowned stop at the end of the world.

http://www.theoutdoorwire.com/image_archive/2046094.jpeg> The sun rises behind the Port Eads Lighthouse before crews begin work to rebuild the historic Port Eads Marina, the last stop for fishermen and offshore workers along the Mississippi River before entering the Gulf of Mexico.

The rebuilding of the historic site almost didn't happen. A Project Worksheet (PW) was approved for the Port Eads Dock and Marina in 2007, however FEMA de-obligated it later that year. The Parish appealed the project only to have FEMA deny it again.

Knowing the significance of Port Eads, Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser set out to overturn the decision. On December 8, 2008, President Nungesser, an attorney, a representative from All South Consulting Engineers, and the late Colonel Thomas Kirkpatrick of the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP) appealed directly to James Walke in FEMA's Washington, D.C. Office. The Parish won its appeal and FEMA made the Port Eads Marina eligible for funding.

Negotiations regarding the cost of repairs resulted in FEMA approving PWs totaling $10.8 million to rebuild the Port Eads Dock and Marina. The Parish Council has also appropriated money for a portion of the repairs that have been deemed ineligible by FEMA.