It's a plan that has been more than a decade in the making and now the first step is coming to fruition with the delivery of 17,000 tons of sand to Lake Pontchartrain.

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It's a plan that has been more than a decade in the making and now the first step is coming to fruition with the delivery of 17,000 tons of sand to Lake Pontchartrain.The mounds of sand made their way to the lakefront Tuesday. The Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation said the sand was initially brought to the state for a fracking project, which fell through.“Everybody in my generation, from New Orleans, remembers coming here. It was a rite of passage to come to Pontchartrain Beach,” said Carlton Dufrechou. “This was a place to meet. We could play in the sand, play in the water, you'd have picnics. It was magnificent." The sand was purchased by the foundation for a fraction of the original price and will be used to restore Pontchartrain Beach -- a plan that's been in the works.Dufrechou, board chair for foundation, said the restoration project brings back many wonderful memories for the New Orleans native. It's all part of the 2005 Pontchartrain Beach master plan to restore the once hot spot to what it used to be. When it was first introduced, immediate relief efforts from Hurricane Katrina took priority, and delayed the project.More than a decade later, the foundation is entering Phase I and needs the community’s help funding the project. Initial expenses to acquire and transport the sand to Pontchartrain Beach are $130,000.Dufrechou said beginning May 1, the foundation will start transporting the sand from the Industrial Canal to the beach. He said the move will take three weeks.This is part of the larger budget of $500,000 for Phase I of the project, which is to install limestone and other infrastructure requirements.“This area hasn't had any maintenance since 1970 when the beach was closed,” said Dufrechou.Generous donations and pledges have already been received from the Azby Fund, Gulf Coast Bank and Trust Co. and Restore the Earth Foundation. There is also an immediate deadline to raise $40,000 by April 30 or the deal expires."Facilities like a dog park, boat and paddleboard rentals, and a swimming are for the summer months, and a venue for concerts and weddings for special events the rest of the year,” said Michael Liebaert, Chair of Pontchartrain Beach Restoration Committee," said Michael Liebaert with the Pontchartrain Beach Restoration Committee.One way residents can help is to visit the foundation's website and make monetary donations. Donation types can be made in several different categories: $5 for a kid's pail, $25 for a bucket, $100 for a front-end loader and $500 for a dump truck.The foundation plans to open the beach for a public event in the summer.More information about the plan can be found online.