MAUREPAS — Starting this month, at least 18 abandoned vessels will be removed from Lake Maurepas over the course of three weeks. 

The removal project is part of a $500,000 grant from the Air Products Lake Maurepas Community Fund for the Lake Maurepas Watershed Cleanup Project in partnership with Osprey Initiative.

According to Air Products, the removal of the vessels, including some that are submerged, is part of a larger effort to remove larger pieces of litter that can affect drainage, transportation, and enhance safety in the Lake Maurepas area.

The removal is expected to take around three weeks and will see Osprey work with local vendors to use specialized crews and equipment to safely remove the large debris from the lake. 

"These abandoned and sunken vessels could cause injuries or damage to boats and boaters using the Lake and, with the summer boating season upon us, Air Products is proud to continue to make Lake Maurepas safer by funding this type of large-scale debris removal," said Danna Leblanc, Commercial Executive Director of Air Products’ Louisiana Clean Energy Complex.