Archive for Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (MRGO)
NGOs urge federal government to restore coast damaged by Mississippi River Gulf Outlet
March 15, 2012 | Posted by Delta Dispatches in Army Corps of Engineers, Hurricane Katrina, Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (MRGO)(March 7, 2012 — New Orleans) On March 2, the 5th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals upheld the November 2009 landmark decision that found the Army Corps liable for catastrophic flooding in the Lower Ninth Ward and St. Bernard Parish during Hurricane Katrina due to the grossly negligent management of the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (MRGO). In 2009, Judge Stanwood Duval ruled that the dangerous condition of the shipping channel was clearly acknowledged by the Corps for decades, but the Corps chose not to take a course of action to remedy the ongoing destruction and degradation of the protective wetlands. The MRGO impacted over 700,000 acres of coastal wetlands and waterways. These wetlands once buffered the Greater New Orleans area from storm surge.
Views of inundated areas in New Orleans following breaking of the levees surrounding the city as the result of Hurricane Katrina. 11 September 2005. View is of a section of Eastern New Orleans, to the west of Lake Forest Boulevard. I-10 runs horizontally through center of image. MRGO canal is seen to south in distance. Credit: NOAA
This second ruling reaffirms the direct linkage of the MRGO to the deadly destruction of Hurricane Katrina. Urgent restitution for all impacted by Corps negligence and restoration of the MRGO ecosystem is imperative. Still, the federal government is expected to continue to appeal, further delaying resolution.
“Nearly seven years have passed since Hurricane Katrina. It’s high time for the federal government to step-up to the plate by compensating those affected and by funding MRGO restoration,” said Dr. John Lopez of the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation.
Although the closure of the shipping channel was long-advocated by environmental and community groups, and even though the funneling effect of the MRGO was predicted by storm surge researchers, it took the drowning of entire communities to achieve congressional action for MRGO closure and restoration planning.
Restoration planning is ongoing. Both the Corps’ draft MRGO ecosystem restoration plan and the State of Louisiana’s draft 2012 Coastal Master Plan call for upwards of $5 billion in restoration projects in the area impacted by the channel. The need for funding prevents implementation of this immensely important restoration effort. Settling this case could provide a major source of those funds.
“As an advocate for both the environment and reduction of flood risk, I believe the Court of Appeals decision will push government engineers to look long and hard at how other channels similar to the MRGO along the Gulf Coast increase risk and damage the environment. More importantly, we need to fix them before the next catastrophe,” said Dr.Paul Kemp, Vice President at National Audubon Society and a member of Team Louisiana.
Statement supported by: American Rivers, CAWIC, Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, Environmental Defense Fund, Global Green-USA, Gulf Restoration Network, Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation, Levees.org, Louisiana Environmental Action Network, Lower Mississippi Riverkeeper, Lower Ninth Center for Sustainable Engagement and Development, MQVN Community Development Corporation, National Audubon Society, National Wildlife Federation, Sierra Club – Delta Chapter, Tierra Resources, LLC, and St. Bernard Parish Government.
No CommentsVideo: New Orleans community members tour local restoration projects
September 26, 2011 | Posted by Elizabeth Skree in Community Resiliency, Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (MRGO), Restoration ProjectsBy Happy Johnson, National Wildlife Federation
On September 9, life-long community residents and civic leaders from New Orleans' Historic Lower 9th Ward took a boat tour of the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal Surge Barrier (IHNC), to see the structure up close and engage in discussions with local non-profit representatives about the critical importance of hurricane protection and ecosystem restoration.
The tour was sponsored by the Lower 9th Ward Center for Sustainable Engagement and Development (CSED), Lake Pontchatrain Basin Foundation, Gulf Restoration Network and the National Wildlife Federation. Other highlights of the tour included the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, the Bayou Bienvenue flood gate at the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (MRGO), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers shoreline protection projects and the Central Wetlands. The coastal ecosystems surrounding the aforementioned flood protection structures are vital to community protection.
Our observations and discussions with community members were guided by one key question: How do we restore our wetlands and protect our communities?
Check out the video below to learn more about the tour.
">http://youtu.be/F7Sfi_NX3h4
No CommentsWetland Scientists, St. Bernard Parish Landowners, and 27,000 Americans Weigh In on MRGO Restoration
March 12, 2011 | Posted by David J. Ringer (Audubon) in Army Corps of Engineers, Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (MRGO), Restoration ProjectsBy Amanda Moore, National Wildlife Federation
Illustrative conceptual plan of restoration for the Central Wetlands, an area badly degraded by MRGO. From MRGO Must Go Coalition comments and recommendations, p. 19.
The MRGO Must Go Coalition partnered with leading scientists and prominent landowners in St. Bernard Parish to submit detailed recommendations to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for review and incorporation into its final plan to restore massive ecosystem damage caused by the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet shipping channel. The recommendations were based on two prior reports released by the Coalition and reviewed over several months by a group of coastal scientists with expertise in the MRGO study area. In addition, approximately 27,000 restoration-minded citizens from across the country submitted public comments to the Corps supporting the Coalition's recommendations.
Key recommendations from the MRGO Must Go Coalition include:
- Use the existing Violet canal corridor for the new Violet Diversion;
- Develop a baseline and then a comprehensive restoration plan for the Central Wetlands;
- Restore regional oyster barrier reefs along the east and north sides of the Biloxi Marsh;
- Utilize external scientific input to finalize and implement the plan;
- Use natural gas as a clean and efficient energy source;
- Include a new channel constriction and additional bankline restoration of the MRGO channel;
The recommendations can be viewed in their entirety here.
“The Corps’ draft plan marks a long-awaited step toward protecting communities along the MRGO and moving forward on crucial restoration projects for Orleans and St. Bernard Parishes,” said Dr. John Lopez, Acting Director of the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation. “The MRGO Must Go Coalition is pleased to partner with residents and landowners of St. Bernard Parish as well as coastal experts in the academic community for these important comments. Now, we look to the Corps to consider and incorporate our recommendations, which strengthen the draft plan considerably by offering implementable suggestions that will achieve better protection for our communities and a sustainable, healthy ecosystem.”
The MRGO Must Go Coalition, a group of 17 environmental and community organizations, served as a resource for the public comment period by providing insight and recommendations for the Draft Feasibility Report. The Coalition pulls together the voice of the community, independent scientists, and policy experts in an effort to move the best restoration plan forward and protect the Greater New Orleans area. Visit www.MRGOmustGO.org to for important updates as the draft plan moves forward.
No CommentsThird and Final MRGO Public Meeting Held in New Orleans, Comment Period Ends Monday
February 10, 2011 | Posted by Delta Dispatches in Army Corps of Engineers, Meetings/Events, Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (MRGO), Restoration ProjectsBy Emily Guidry Schatzel, National Wildlife Federation
The third and final public hearing on the draft plan to restore the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (MRGO) ecosystem by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers took place on Tuesday evening (Feb. 
in New Orleans. About 100 people attended to hear more about the plan and voice their recommendations to the Corps. Previous meetings were held in Waveland, Ms. and Chalmette, La.
“These public hearings are a crucial part of the Corps’ planning process, and the MRGO Must Go Coalition is thrilled that so many members of conservation groups and people from around the affected communities have turned out to make their voices heard,” said Amanda Moore, coordinator of the MRGO Must Go Coalition.
While some of the meeting’s comments focused on specific aspects of the plan, others were aimed at driving home the fundamental principles of restoration. As Chris Macaluso, sportsmen’s outreach coordinator for the Louisiana Wildlife Federation, pointed out in his comments: “The marsh wouldn’t be here without the river. We need to reconnect the river to the wetlands to restore them.”
Other speakers included St. Bernard Resident Catherine Serpas, who supported using the existing canal as the location for the Violet diversion, and St. Bernard Parish landowner Jimmy Delery, who resides in New Orleans, and called for the restoration plan to be considered as part of the parish’s storm protection.
The official comment period for the MRGO ecosystem restoration draft plan ends Monday February 14. The MRGO Must Go Coalition, a group of 17 environmental and community organizations, has been working with local communities and coastal scientists to critique the draft plan. View the Coalition’s recommendations and submit your comments online at www.MRGOmustGO.org.
1 CommentInfluential Sportsman Chris Nook Speaks About Importance of Louisiana Wetlands Restoration at MRGO Public Meeting
January 28, 2011 | Posted by Delta Dispatches in Army Corps of Engineers, Birds, Meetings/Events, Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (MRGO), Restoration Projects, WildlifeBy Amanda Moore, National Wildlife Federation
John Lopez (Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation) speaks to technical aspects of the MRGO restoration plan at public meeting in Waveland, Ms. (Credit: MRGO Must Go Coalition)
The second of three public hearings on the Army Corps of Engineers’ MRGO ecosystem restoration draft plan was held Tuesday evening (Jan. 25) in Waveland, Mississippi. Approximately 100 people turned out for the chance to learn more about the restoration plan and to share comments.
In addition to Mississippi public officials and residents – as well as a sizeable contingency of Louisiana residents – sportsmen from Montana, Ohio, and Oklahoma made the journey to Waveland to speak about the importance of MRGO ecosystem restoration to wildlife and sportsmen throughout the nation.
Chris Nook, the CEO of HuntDucks.com and prostaff director at Hard Core Decoys, flew in from Ohio to testify about the importance of restoring the wetlands around the infamous MRGO. “Historically, the coastal marshes of this region have provided crucial wintering habitat for waterfowl that are produced in the Nations Prairie Pothole Region and Great Lakes states," said Nook. "Sadly, Ducks Unlimited has said that about 3 million fewer ducks spend their winters along the Gulf Coast because of habitat loss. And, a big part of that habitat loss has taken place right here in the area this plan aims to restore.”
The final public hearing for the MRGO draft plan is scheduled for February 3rd in New Orleans and the official comment period ends February 14th. View the Coalition’s recommendations and submit your comments online at www.MRGOmustGO.org.
2 CommentsStrong Interest in Coastal Restoration Reflected at MRGO Ecosystem Restoration Meeting in Chalmette
January 21, 2011 | Posted by Delta Dispatches in Army Corps of Engineers, Meetings/Events, Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (MRGO), Restoration ProjectsBy Amanda Moore, National Wildlife Federation
A crowd of 300 gathered at a school auditorium in St. Bernard Parish last night for the Army Corps of Engineers' MRGO ecosystem restoration public hearing. The Corps presented the highlights of their draft plan for repairing damaged coastal wetlands as well as restoring some of the natural storm surge protection lost because of the infamous shipping channel.
The MRGO Must Go Coalition, a group of 17 environmental and community organizations, has been working with local communities and coastal scientists to critique the draft plan. Community leaders, parish officials, and large landowners echoed many of the Coalition recommendations, including: oyster reef restoration in the Biloxi Marsh and restoring eroded banklines along the MRGO channel.
One major hot-button topic at the hearing was the location of the proposed Violet diversion, which will reconnect the Mississippi River to swamp and marshlands for restoration. While the Corps proposes to locate the diversion in an open cow pasture, MRGO Must Go and a large contingency of community members support locating the diversion in the existing Violet canal corridor to avoid dredging a new channel through the parish.
Two more public meetings are planned in Waveland, Ms. on January 25 and New Orleans, La. on February 3, and the official comment period ends on February 14. View the Coalition’s recommendations and comment online at www.MRGOmustGO.org.
1 CommentLet Your Voice Be Heard: Public Comment Period for MRGO Draft Restoration Plan Is Underway
January 6, 2011 | Posted by Delta Dispatches in Army Corps of Engineers, Congress, Hurricane Katrina, Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (MRGO), Restoration ProjectsBy Amanda Moore, National Wildlife Federation
Update to our previous post: The 60-day public comment period is open for the Army Corps of Engineers' Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (MRGO) Draft Restoration Plan. The restoration of the ecosystem along the MRGO will help to protect the City of New Orleans and St. Bernard Parish by providing a coastal buffer to storm surge and waves. In addition, restoration will increase coastal resiliency to subsidence and sea level rise and keep our estuaries healthy and productive.
The public voice is critical for both a strong plan and implementation funding. The Corps and Congress need to hear from you to ensure a healthy and resilient coastal buffer between the New Orleans area and the Gulf of Mexico. Through careful review, experts and community leaders in the MRGO Must Go Coalition, a group of 17 environmental and community organizations, have developed recommendations for the Draft Feasibility Report. Please send in a comment and help protect New Orleans and St. Bernard Parish by visiting their website.
Groundbreaking ceremony of the MRGO
Since its construction, the MRGO has impacted over 600,000 acres of coastal ecosystems surrounding New Orleans and has destroyed over 27,000 acres of wetlands. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina underscored the gravity of the MRGO impact on wetlands and public safety when storm waves generated in Lake Borgne regenerated in the MRGO channel and destroyed levees while the surge still was rising, wiping out communities along the MRGO. Now, under direction from Congress, the Army Corps has developed a comprehensive plan to repair coastal damage caused by the channel.
The public comment period is scheduled to end mid-February.
No CommentsMississippi River Gulf Outlet (MRGO) Ecosystem Restoration Plan Moves Forward
December 16, 2010 | Posted by Delta Dispatches in Congress, Hurricane Katrina, Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (MRGO), Restoration ProjectsBy Amanda Moore, National Wildlife Federation
Rally goers call for the closing of MRGO (June 2009). Credit: National Wildlife Federation
The Army Corps of Engineers is set to release the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (MRGO) Ecosystem Restoration Plan Draft Feasibility Report this Friday, December 17, officially opening the 45-day public comment period. The release marks an important and long-awaited step toward community protection and large-scale coastal restoration for the Greater New Orleans region.
The extensive flooding of the Lower Ninth Ward and St. Bernard Parish during Hurricane Katrina was directly attributable to the MRGO, a deep draft shipping channel that destroyed tens of thousands of acres of wetlands and cypress swamps surrounding New Orleans, leaving communities exposed to storm surge. In the wake of the tragedy, Congress directed the Corps to develop a plan to restore the areas affected by the channel.
Years behind deadline, this vital plan (the largest wetland restoration plan in U.S. history) is ready for review. The public voice is critical for both a strong restoration plan and implementation funding. The Corps and Congress need to hear from you to ensure a healthy and resilient coastal buffer between the New Orleans area and the Gulf of Mexico.
The MRGO Must Go Coalition – a group of 17 environmental and community organizations – will serve as a resource for the public comment period by providing insight and recommendations for the Draft Feasibility Report. Sign up now at www.MRGOmustGO.org to receive information and email updates about the public comments process as well as the Coalition's formal recommendations.
1 Comment
