Archive for Reports


Managing the Mississippi River for ecosystem restoration, navigation and flood protection: A win-win-win

May 16, 2012 | Posted by Delta Dispatches in Diversions, Louisiana Coastal Area (LCA), Reports, Restoration Projects, Science

By Alisha A. Renfro, Ph.D., Coastal Scientist, National Wildlife Federation

The Mississippi River is one of the largest rivers in the world, carrying water, nutrients and sediment across America’s heartland, through Louisiana and into the Gulf of Mexico. The Mississippi River Hydrodynamic and Delta Management Study is a Louisiana Coastal Area project that has recently been initiated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Louisiana’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority. The purpose of this 5-year, large-scale study is to assess the resources of the lower Mississippi River and evaluate restoration efforts that could increase the long-term sustainability of the delta. To take serious steps toward using the river for coastal restoration, the management of the Mississippi River must be re-envisioned to regard navigation, flood protection and ecosystem restoration as equally important services provided by the river.

Integrating well-designed river diversions into the management of the river has the potential to be a win-win-win for the Mississippi River Delta: restoring the ecosystem, providing a more reliable navigation channel and bolstering the flood protection system.

The hydrodynamic part of this study will focus on compiling previous scientific research and collecting new information about river discharge, water flow, changes in the river bottom and sediment availability. The information collected will be used to inform models that replicate the current conditions of the Mississippi River from the Old River Control Structure north of Baton Rouge down to the Bird’s Foot Delta. The delta management part of this study will use the newly-developed models to assess the benefits and effects of different proposed restoration projects on the river and the nearby basins.

This study is important because it provides us with an opportunity to reevaluate how we manage the Mississippi River. Currently, the river is being managed exclusively for navigation interests, which has directly contributed to Louisiana’s coastal land loss crisis over the last 80 years. However, despite this focus on navigation, increases in the cost of dredging and decreases in the Corps of Engineers’ dredging budget have threatened to diminish the depth and width of the navigation channel, reducing the cargo capacity the ships can carry and decreasing the ability of U.S.-produced exports to compete on the world market.

Integrating well-designed river diversions into the management of the river has the potential to be a win-win-win for the Mississippi River Delta: restoring the ecosystem, providing a more reliable navigation channel and bolstering the flood protection system. Sediment diversions can mimic the natural processes that once built the surrounding delta. They can also remove sediment from the river, which reduces the need and cost for dredging in the navigation channel. During flood events, river diversions can also be used as additional outlets for flood waters, reducing pressure against the flood protection levees that protect communities and important infrastructure.

The Hydrodynamic and Delta Management Study is an important tool that will improve the understanding of the current conditions of the mighty Mississippi River and the resources available for coastal restoration. It is imperative that the information from this study be used to accelerate large-scale ecosystem restoration efforts and better manage the river for the important services it provides not only to Louisiana, but to the entire nation.

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Study looks at sediment and water flow through Mississippi River, helps scientists plan effective restoration projects

May 1, 2012 | Posted by Elizabeth Skree in Diversions, Reports, Restoration Projects, Science

By Alisha A. Renfro, Ph.D., National Wildlife Federation

The sediment and water transported by the Mississippi River built much of the ecologically-rich Mississippi River Delta and Louisiana coastline. But over the last decade, manmade modifications throughout the river basin to improve navigation and flood protection have disconnected the river from its delta. This has reduced the amount of sediment carried by the river and severed the connection between the river and the adjacent wetlands it naturally built. Sediment is a precious resource, and the ability to restore the Mississippi River Delta relies on a thorough understanding of how much sediment is moving in the river, where it is deposited and how much is lost to the Gulf of Mexico. Answering these questions will help scientists and coastal planners develop restoration projects, such as river diversions, that effectively reconnect the sediment in the river with the coastal wetlands that need it.

Mississippi River Delta and sediment plume, 2001.

A recent study led by Mead Allison, Ph.D., “A water and sediment budget for the lower Mississippi-Atchafalaya River in flood years 2008-2010: Implications for sediment discharge to the oceans and coastal restoration in Louisiana” (Journal of Hydrology, Vol. 432-433), advances the understanding of resources transported through the Atchafalaya-Mississippi River system. Using data from monitoring stations, previous studies and boat-based measurements, the researchers measured and tracked the water and sediment as it moved through the Mississippi-Atchafalaya River system.

The Mississippi River discharge varied seasonally and annually during the study period (2008-2010). Averaged over the three-year study period, only 50 percent of the water measured at Baton Rouge, La. is still carried by the river by the time it reaches the Bird’s Foot Delta. Much of this loss occurs more than 30 miles below New Orleans and is due to natural and manmade breaks in the river levees. The fine mud and silt that comprise the bulk of the sediment carried by the Mississippi River followed a similar pattern as the water.

In contrast, sand, which is often considered crucial for coastal restoration, had a much different pattern. More than 50 percent of the suspended sand that was measured in the river was deposited either in the river channel or along the river bank between Tarbert Landing, Miss. and Baton Rouge, La. Down at the Bird’s Foot Delta, only around 2 percent of the suspended sand measured at Tarbert Landing, Miss. was transported through the southern passes and lost to the Gulf of Mexico The rest was either deposited in the river channel (approximately 30 percent) or transported out through the natural and manmade breaks in the river levee (approximately 15 percent).

The 2012 Louisiana Coastal Master Plan includes a suite of river diversions that are instrumental in diminishing the current rate of land loss in the region. The data from Allison’s study suggests that to use the limited amount of sand available to build land, diversions should be located above the rapidly sinking Bird’s Foot Delta and operate during rising river discharge to maximize the sediment transported through the diversion into the wetlands, while minimizing the sediment deposited in the river channel which can interfere with navigation. Strategically locating river diversions will both help rebuild land in the Mississippi River Delta as well as reduce the need to dredge the river for navigation.

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Report: Reengineer Mississippi River Delta To Protect Nation’s Economic, Ecological Assets

April 11, 2012 | Posted by Delta Dispatches in 2012 Coastal Master Plan, Diversions, Reports, Science

Scientists call for “immediate action” to address disintegration of delta

News Release (Baton Rouge, La.—April 11, 2012) Building a series of engineered structures called diversions along the lower Mississippi River will yield tens of billions of dollars in net annual benefits to the nation and hedge against future disasters, according to a new report co-authored by 22 prominent scientists and engineers.

The report, “Answering 10 Fundamental Questions about the Mississippi River Delta,” makes a scientific and economic case for restoring the Mississippi River Delta wetlands, which have shrunk in size by nearly 1,900 square miles since the 1930s. The report also makes the case for reengineering the aging lower Mississippi River flood-control and navigation systems, which are increasingly vulnerable to catastrophic failures.

“Our research reveals considerable consensus within and across scientific disciplines about how the Mississippi River Delta functions and what actions must be taken to ensure long-term sustainability,” the report says. “It is clear that immediate action is warranted and is essential to the future stability of our nation’s economy.”

The report projects annual losses to the United States of $41 billion dollars if the delta continues to collapse unchecked. Conversely, it estimates an annual net benefit of at least $62 billion if the delta can be maintained and expanded. The report also makes it clear that the only way to maintain delta wetlands in the long term is through the construction and operation of structures called diversions, which release water and sediment from the river into the wetlands, mimicking historical flows. The report concludes that the use of diversions will satisfy a number of interlocking demands.

The report is timely because the Louisiana legislature is currently considering the state’s 2012 Coastal Master Plan, which relies heavily on river diversions to turn the tide on the state’s ongoing land loss crisis. The plan lays out a 50-year vision for protecting and restoring the coast, including increased hurricane risk reduction for coastal communities and eventually reaching a net growth, rather than a net loss, of wetlands.

A recent telephone survey found that 67 percent of likely voters nationwide believe it is an “extremely” or “very” important priority for the federal government to take steps to restore the Mississippi River Delta and that overwhelming numbers (84 percent) believe the Mississippi River Delta and Gulf Coast affect the nation’s economy.

The Mississippi River Delta Science and Engineering Special Team, which produced the report, is a network of eminent scientists and engineers convened by the National Audubon Society, the Environmental Defense Fund and the National Wildlife Federation to provide objective and independent analysis pertaining to Mississippi River Delta restoration.

The report released this week is a precursor to scientific articles that will be published in peer-reviewed journals and a book slated for release in the coming months.

Contacts:

John Day, Mississippi River Delta Science and Engineering Special Team, 225-773-7165, johnday@lsu.edu
David J. Ringer, National Audubon Society, 601-642-7058, dringer@audubon.org
Sean Crowley, Environmental Defense Fund, 202-550-6524, scrowley@edf.org
Emily Guidry Schatzel, National Wildlife Federation, 225-253-9781, guidrye@nwf.org

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New NWF Report: A Degraded Gulf of Mexico

April 10, 2012 | Posted by Kevin Chandler in BP Oil Disaster, Media Resources, Reports, RESTORE Gulf Coast States Act
This story was originally posted by the National Wildlife Federation.

Wildlife and Wetlands Two Years into the Gulf Oil Disaster

By Jaclyn McDougal, National Wildlife Federation.

Dolphins in Gulf of Mexico, May 2010

As the two-year mark of the Deepwater Horizon blowout approaches, the National Wildlife Federation issued a new report today examining the health of the Gulf’s wildlife and wetlands. Impacts from the Gulf oil disaster will be unfolding for years, if not decades, and many species of wildlife in the Gulf of Mexico will need the combined efforts of scientists, policymakers and regulators to recover.

A Degraded Gulf Of Mexico: Wildlife and Wetlands Two Years into the Gulf Oil Disaster (pdf) was written by National Wildlife Federation Senior Scientist Dr. Doug Inkley. The report is also available as an interactive graphic at www.nwf.org/OilSpill

Major highlights include:

  • The poor health in dolphins in the most heavily oiled areas and the spike in dolphin deaths suggest possible ecosystem-wide effects of the oil.
  • The Gulf’s already-endangered sea turtle population has been dealt a severe blow by the oil disaster. Already strained bluefin tuna, deep sea coral, Gulf wetlands and coastal habitats were also impacted.

“It’s important to remember what we don’t yet know. Previous catastrophes like the Exxon Valdez have shown that impacts of oil disasters last many years or even decades,” Inkley said. “Little action has been taken to address the long-term species threats and wetlands habitat degradation exacerbated by the oil disaster. Much more needs to be done to ensure a complete recovery.”

Other oil disasters have taken years to reveal their full effects, and often recovery remains incomplete after decades.

“It will be critical to monitor these key species in the months and years ahead, especially given the unknown impacts of weathered and ‘dispersed’ oil remaining in the Gulf,” said Dr. George Crozier, retired director of Dauphin Island Sea Lab. “This disaster hit an ecosystem already weakened by years of wetlands degradation, including coastal areas around the Mississippi River Delta losing a football field worth of land every hour.”

The April 20, 2010 blowout on the Deepwater Horizon rig killed 11 workers and the Macondo well would eventually release nearly 206 million gallons of oil, providing a new setback to a Gulf ecosystem already struggling with years of wetlands degradation and the destructive power of Hurricane Katrina.

“It is essential for Congress to pass the RESTORE Act to reinvest penalties and fines to restoring the Gulf,” said David Muth, state director of NWF’s Mississippi River Delta program. “Without legislation to direct fines and penalties from the oil disaster to restoring the Gulf Coast’s wetlands and coastal ecosystems and a comprehensive Gulf Coast restoration program, the outlook for Gulf recovery will remain uncertain.”

Download the full report here: A Degraded Gulf of Mexico: Wildlife and Wetlands Two Years Into the Gulf Oil Disaster (pdf)

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Final draft of the 2012 Coastal Master Plan approved by CPRA

March 23, 2012 | Posted by Delta Dispatches in 2012 Coastal Master Plan, Community Resiliency, Meetings/Events, Reports, Restoration Projects

This story was originally posted on the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana's Coast Currents blog.

By Scott Madere, Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana

Click for a map of all projects in the final draft of the 2012 Coastal Master Plan.

With a unanimous vote of its members, the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority of Louisiana (CPRA) approved the final draft of the 2012 Coastal Master Plan at its March 21, 2012 meeting held at the Louisiana State Archives.

The completed draft represents a milestone for Louisiana: a comprehensive science-based plan for coastal restoration and protection, built to last 50 years. The Coastal Master Plan represents thousands of hours of work from scores of contributors and CPRA staff members. As CPRA Director Garret Graves said, it is a document unlike any that has come before, detailed in its approach to Louisiana’s coastal crisis while considering possible limitations in funding and resources. “This plan for the first time ever puts us on a realistic trajectory for generations to come. It’s an achievable goal. It’s a fundamental shift in how we approach coastal planning for Louisiana,” said Graves.

The next step for the 2012 Coastal Master Plan is approval by the Louisiana Legislature, which will receive the document before March 26.

The final draft takes into consideration feedback entered after the introduction of the first draft, released to the public on January 12, 2012. The public comment period ended earlier this year on February 25.

“The comment period was very constructive,” said Graves. “We had over 2,000 comments received. Hundreds of people attended the public meetings that were held. Every single comment was read. Every single comment was considered, and every single comment was responded to.”

In addition to the general public, CPRA also sought the input of a 33-person framework development team, made up of governmental representatives, business and industry representatives, researchers and non-governmental organizations (including CRCL). Focus groups from the oil and gas, navigation and fisheries industries also played a key role in advising CPRA on the Master Plan.

“One of the things we want to do with these focus groups and the framework development team is understand a way to continue them,” said CPRA Chief of Planning, Kirk Rhinehart. “We got so much good dialogue. We learned so much from engaging with them that we want to make sure we continue that process.”

After considering and implementing public feedback, the final draft of the 2012 Coastal Master Plan differs somewhat from the original version released January 12. Here are many of the important differences between the two versions, broken down by coastal zone:

Click for a map of all projects on the Southwest Coast in the final draft of the 2012 Coastal Master Plan.

Southwest Coast

  • Plans to include 500 year-level flood protection for Lake Charles via levee have been changed to study alternate means of providing the same level of flood protection for the city.
  • CPRA will consider more shoreline protection for Cameron Parish.
  • CPRA will work with navigation interests to determine the best way to implement a salinity control structure in the Calcasieu Ship Channel at the Gulf of Mexico.
  • Hydrologic restoration for Gum Cove has been removed.

Click for a map of all projects on the Central Coast in the final draft of the 2012 Coastal Master Plan.

Central Coast

  • Planned oyster reef in West Vermilion Bay will be redesigned with possible realignment.
  • Bayou Chene flood control structure added.
  • Marsh creation projects moved from Pointe au Fer and Bayou Penchant in western Terrebonne Parish to eastern Terrebonne Parish, along the rim of northern Terrebonne Bay and near Isle de Jean Charles.

Click for a map of all projects on the Southeast Coast in the final draft of the 2012 Coastal Master Plan

Southeast Coast

  • Marsh creation added to west side of Bayou Lafourche to protect LA-1 corridor.
  • Marsh creation for Lafitte area reconfigured, with project moved from the second implementation period to the first implementation period.
  • Size of marsh creation plan for Biloxi Marsh doubled, with oyster reefs also added.
  • Marsh creation project on Lake Borgne reconfigured.
  • Added marsh creation project to Central Wetlands area.
  • Projects to improve marsh areas and shoreline protection near the Lake Pontchartrain Barrier will receive planning dollars.

For All of the Louisiana Coast

  • Funding added for a Mississippi River realignment study.
  • Funding for parish-level nonstructural projects will be consolidated to implement across entire Louisiana coast.
  • Creation of a project development and implementation program, to discover solutions for the most difficult areas of Louisiana’s coastline to serve.
  • Explicit acknowledgement of climate change to be included in the Coastal Master Plan.

The next step for the 2012 Coastal Master Plan is approval by the Louisiana Legislature, where it will most likely be entered on or before March 26 as a Senate concurrent resolution. For a very detailed explanation of the approval process for the 2012 Coastal Master Plan, visit CRCL’s Coast Currents blog for Part Four of our Coastal Master Plan 101 series, “The Legislative Gauntlet.”

To view the final draft of the Coastal Master Plan, click here.

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New research will help scientists and coastal planners design wetland restoration projects

March 20, 2012 | Posted by Delta Dispatches in Reports, Restoration Projects, Science

By Alisha A. Renfro, Ph.D., National Wildlife Federation

The Rainey Refuge marsh restoration project in southern Louisiana. Credit: NOAA

Wetlands are some of the most economically valuable and ecologically productive environments in the world. Often considered “the kidneys of the landscape,” wetlands help decrease the effects of floods and droughts, cleanse polluted waters, protect shorelines, control erosion and serve as sinks for atmospheric carbon dioxide. They are also important habitat for a variety of flora and fauna.

But human activities and natural processes have greatly reduced the amount of wetlands worldwide. Since the early 20th century, the planet has lost half of its wetlands. Recent attempts have been made to restore and create wetlands, but there are still lingering questions about whether this approach returns the ecosystem’s functions to their full, pre-impact levels.

A study led by David Moreno-Mateos, Ph.D., “Structural and functional loss in restored wetland ecosystems” (PLoS Biology, Vol. 10), compiled previous studies of created, restored and natural “reference” wetlands and compared different variables to gauge the recovery of the ecological function in the restored and created wetlands.

The research found that, in general, the ecological function of restored and created wetlands was lower than in healthy wetlands, but that the recovery of ecosystem function was better in areas directly influenced by rivers and tides, and in larger restoration projects greater than 250 acres. The research will help scientists and planners design the best wetland restoration plans for different regions, such as in coastal Louisiana.

Variables measured for the study were classified as hydrologic, biological or biogeochemical. Hydrologic variables (i.e., water level, flooding and water storage) – which are often engineered into restoration projects – showed little difference between the restored, created and natural wetland sites. In contrast, the biological variables (i.e., abundance and diversity of invertebrates, macroinvertebrates and plants) and the biogeochemical variables (i.e., the storage and cycling of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorous) from the restored and created wetlands sites only recovered approximately 75% of the function of the healthy reference sites, on average.

The size of the marsh restoration or creation project, the regional climate and the hydrologic setting were also found to be important. Larger projects (greater than 250 acres), which likely have a greater connection between resources and local organisms, were found to recover their biological and biogeochemical function faster than small projects; restoration projects in warmer climates showed an accelerated return of ecological processes; and the biological and biogeochemical variables of wetlands that were linked to variations in natural water flow (rivers and tides) recovered after 20 to 30 years, on average.

Dr. Moreno-Mateos’ research covers wetlands throughout the world, but may have some important lessons for restoring wetlands and their ecosystem function in coastal Louisiana. In the 2012 Louisiana Coastal Master Plan, a considerable amount of the budget is dedicated to marsh creation projects. Implementing large marsh creation projects alongside river diversions may shorten the recovery time in restoring ecosystem function of the economically and ecologically vital Mississippi River Delta.

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New report outlines recommendations for anticipating sea level rise impacts on Louisiana’s coast

February 29, 2012 | Posted by Delta Dispatches in 2012 Coastal Master Plan, Reports, Science

By Alisha A. Renfro, Ph.D., National Wildlife Federation

Rising sea levels expose low-lying coastal areas to increased flooding, saltwater intrusion, and erosion, which can further increase their vulnerability to the effects of storms. The Mississippi River Delta along coastal Louisiana is particularly sensitive to sea level rise, as the river-driven geology causes the land to sink, amplifying local sea level rise.

In order for coastal managers to design restoration projects that will anticipate patterns of land loss and protect coastal communities, sea level rise estimates must be based on the most up-to-date research available. The Louisiana Applied Coastal Engineering and Science Division (LACES) recently released a technical report, “Recommendations for Anticipating Sea-Level Rise Impacts on Louisiana Coastal Resources during Project Planning and Design.” The report’s findings recommend that coastal managers and planners anticipate an average increase in sea level of 3.3-feet by 2100.

Predicting future sea level requires a thorough understanding of drivers behind sea level as well as the historical and current sea level trends. Today, tide gauges, satellite readings, measurements from ships and instruments attached to floats are used to measure the worldwide increase in the average sea surface elevation. Additionally, they allow researchers to better understand the relative contributions of freshwater influx from melting glaciers and other land ice as well as the expansion of ocean water volume from increased temperatures. The global sea level rise trend from 1992-2011 was approximately 0.11 inches per year.

The sea level rise trend in the Gulf of Mexico is less certain than the global trend due to the absence of consistent ship-based measurements and few instrument mounted floats. However, sea surface elevation derived from satellites shows that the sea level rise trend varies along the coast of Louisiana.

Map of projected subsidence ranges for south Louisiana generated by the Subsidence Advisory Panel for the Louisiana CPRA Master Plan 2012 Update, following a meeting on 14 October 2010. (Source: www.lacpra.org)

Understanding current sea level rise and the factors that contribute to it are the first step in predicting sea level rise over the next century. At present, the largest uncertainty is if ice sheets located on land will melt with warming temperatures, eventually collapsing and causing rapid sea level rise. As a result, LACES recommends assuming a 3.3-foot rise (range of 1.6 to 4.9-feet) in sea level by 2100. However, for specific projects LACES recommends using the historic sea level rise trend for that part of the Louisiana coast as the base for predicting future sea level.

Relative sea level rise is the elevation of the sea measured from a particular location. Relative sea level is the combination of global sea level and a change in the local elevation, such as subsidence. This is an especially important consideration in coastal Louisiana where, due to the Mississippi River Delta-driven geology, land in some areas is sinking 3 to 5 times faster than global sea levels are rising. Unfortunately, subsidence rates vary across Louisiana and are currently not well understood on a local level, but it is hoped that monitoring stations now spread throughout the coast will refine the understanding of subsidence rates.

It is imperative that coastal managers consider the future conditions of sea level to better design and implement projects that can be sustained with these changing conditions. Louisiana’s 2012 Coastal Master Plan uses recommendations from the LACES report to predict the Louisiana coastal landscape in 2060 and outlines a coastal restoration and protection strategy that will help protect the economically and ecologically vital resources of Louisiana.

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CPRA conducts successful week of public meetings on 2012 Coastal Master Plan

February 7, 2012 | Posted by Delta Dispatches in 2012 Coastal Master Plan, Community Resiliency, Diversions, Meetings/Events, Reports, Restoration Projects

This story was originally posted on the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana's Coast Currents blog.

By Scott M. Madere, Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana

From Jan. 23-25, 2012, the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) of Louisiana held a series of public meetings in New Orleans, Houma and Lake Charles to receive public feedback regarding the recently-released draft of the 2012 Coastal Master Plan. The public comment period, which continues until Feb. 25, is an essential part of refining the master plan before it reaches the Louisiana legislature for approval on March 26. The Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana (CRCL) was present at all three public meetings and listened to hundreds of Louisiana residents express their concerns about the plan’s potential to address coastal land loss. No two venues were the same, as citizens in the three meeting locales brought up topics unique to their coastal zones.

CRCL Executive Director Steven Peyronnin expresses support for CPRA's efforts in constructing the 2012 Coastal Master Plan.

New Orleans – More than 270 people attended the first CPRA public meeting, held at the University of New Orleans. Governmental representatives from Plaquemines, Jefferson and St. Bernard parishes were on hand as well as commercial fishing interests from these and other communities near New Orleans. Many of the fishers present expressed concerns regarding the master plan’s reliance on large-scale sediment diversions from the Mississippi River to rebuild marshlands on Louisiana’s southeastern coast. In their view, these sediment diversions would introduce a volume of fresh water into the coastal zones which would be unfavorable to the commercial harvest of oysters and shrimp. Sediment diversions are a key element among the many tools available in the 2012 Coastal Master Plan for coastal restoration. The use of these diversions maximize the land-building potential of the plan and reconnect the Mississippi River with its delta.

Jefferson Parish President John Young requested that flood protection plans for Lafitte, Crown Point and Barataria be implemented on faster pace than originally planned in the 2012 master plan draft. There were also a number of non-governmental organizations present including CRCL, National Audubon Society, National Wildlife Federation, Nature Conservancy of Louisiana, Gulf Restoration Network and the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation which expressed support for the processes and effort involved in creating the 2012 Coastal Master Plan.

More than 250 residents turned out for the CPRA public meeting in Houma.

Houma – The Houma-Terrebonne Civic Center played host to more than 270 attendees to CPRA’s second public meeting about the 2012 Coastal Master Plan. The Houma meeting’s comments were centered primarily on requests for more restoration projects on the eastern side of Terrebonne Parish, which includes Pointe aux Chenes, Isle de Jean Charles and other communities. Residents of these areas and representatives of the United Houma Nation and other Native American groups appealed to the CPRA representatives, asking for the inclusion of their communities in plans for restoration.

The 2012 master plan does feature restoration and protection projects in Terrebonne Parish. There is enhanced levee protection for Houma and highly-populated areas in the center of the parish, restoration for Timbalier Island, Isle Dernieres and other barrier islands, and marsh restoration in the form of a sediment diversion from the Atchafalaya River in western Terrebonne Parish.

The position of residents in the eastern part of the parish is that western Terrebonne is either uninhabited or very lightly populated, and the money spent restoring the marsh there should be moved to protect communities in the east.

Restore the Mississippi River Delta Campaign Director Derek Brockbank speaks before CPRA in Lake Charles.

Lake Charles – More than 150 people braved heavy thunderstorms to attend the third and final CPRA public meeting on the master plan, and their voice was fairly united in seeking shoreline protection for Cameron Parish in the form of rock barriers.

CPRA has a number of marsh protection projects slated in the Cameron/Calcasieu area, including new proposed salinity control structures. The idea is to build the wetlands around Lake Charles and Cameron to bolster its risk reduction capacity with regard to hurricanes and floods. A long-term solution in the master plan for flood protection in Lake Charles includes a significant levee build within the next 50 years as well.

Cameron Parish residents and their supporters in Calcasieu are asking for a more direct line of defense by placing breakwater barriers on the Cameron shoreline. Cameron Parish governmental officials like Police Jury President Darryl Farque were very determined to make the point  that they wish to see this kind of protection added to the plan.

Lake Charles Mayor Randy Roach also asked CPRA to not draw political differences between Calcasieu and Cameron when considering projects, as they are “one place hydrologically” in nature.

Overall, the week saw a high degree of public interest in the 2012 Coastal Master Plan, and CPRA executed three very successful consecutive days of public meetings. No opinion was turned away during these meetings, and extra time was allotted past the meeting schedule to accommodate public opinion. The public comment phase of the 2012 Coastal Master Plan is a vital step in creating the best plan possible for Louisiana and continues until Feb. 25. CRCL would like to encourage those who wish to comment on the plan to do so at CPRA’s  Coastal Master Plan website: http://www.coastalmasterplan.louisiana.gov/2012-master-plan/public-comment-form/

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New methodology makes carbon markets work for wetlands

January 31, 2012 | Posted by Elizabeth Skree in Reports

By Brian Jackson and Elizabeth Skree, Environmental Defense Fund

When society asks who will pay for Louisiana wetlands restoration, people usually think of government or big oil. While both have a huge role, recent developments suggest there may soon be a way for a broad range of American and international businesses to get involved and help pay for restoration projects that will benefit everyone.

A new methodology released by Tierra Resources LLC outlines a system to calculate and measure carbon credits, which could then be sold in a carbon market — an innovative step towards creating economic markets for ecological restoration. This development could lead to unprecedented amounts of private money flowing into Louisiana to restore the Mississippi River Delta.

The new methodology outlines a system to calculate and measure carbon credits, which could then be sold in a carbon market – an innovative step towards creating economic markets for ecological restoration.

Developed by Tierra Resources’ founder and CEO, Sarah Mack, Ph.D., “Restoration of Degraded Deltaic Wetlands of the Mississippi Delta” could open new doors to promote and reward restoration activities in coastal Louisiana. Rebuilding the delta will take traditional kinds of resources, but success can be achieved even faster by taking advantage of new economic opportunities. This methodology is a first step towards developing a new source of restoration revenue: carbon markets.

Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) has a long and valuable relationship with Sarah and Professor John Day, a coauthor of the report. “We share the deep commitment they have to restoring Louisiana’s wetlands,” says Jason Funk, land use and climate scientist at EDF. “We know that Louisiana’s wetlands are an incredibly valuable resource, and we applaud Sarah and John’s efforts to bring new sources of revenue that could help protect the resource.”

EDF has been working with local partners like Tierra Resources for years to find ways to stop Louisiana’s rapid land loss and begin the process of rebuilding this fragile delta. If approved, this methodology could help steer new financial resources towards 4 million acres of eligible wetlands in the state.

“We’re hopeful the methodology will increase the resources available for restoration in Louisiana, as well as open doors to private actors who can utilize the process to produce carbon revenues and restoration benefits on America’s privately-owned lands,” continues Dr. Funk. “We would like to thank Sarah and her colleagues for this valuable contribution, as we know there is not a moment to lose in finding solutions to Louisiana’s coastal crisis.”

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Researchers examine Gulf oil spill’s effects on southeastern Louisiana salt marsh

January 30, 2012 | Posted by Delta Dispatches in BP Oil Disaster, Reports, Science

By Alisha Renfro, Ph.D., National Wildlife Federation

Researchers examined oiled marsh during the 2010 BP Gulf oil spill. (Credit: www.darrp.noaa.gov)

The BP oil disaster introduced more than 200 million gallons of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico, just off the southeastern Louisiana coast. An extensive effort is currently underway to assess the full damage of this catastrophic event on the rich and complex Gulf ecosystem.

A study lead by Deepak Mishra, Ph.D. and published in Remote Sensing of Environment (vol. 118) is the first look at short-term impacts the oil spill had on the salt marshes of southeastern Louisiana. The study, “Post-spill state of the marsh: Remote estimation of the ecological impact of the Gulf Of Mexico oil spill on Louisiana Salt Marshes,” examines the impact of the oil, dispersants and cleanup efforts on salt marshes in the months following the spill. Researchers used field measurements and satellite imagery from 2009 and 2010 to compare characteristics of vegetation related to health and productivity before and after the spill.

Oil can have a direct and immediate impact on salt marsh health by coating the vegetation and soil surface, leading to temperature stress and a reduction in photosynthesis. Compounds found in crude oil can also negatively affect the ability of salt marsh vegetation to tolerate salinity, leading to vegetation dieback and slowing down marsh recovery. And while oil can have a damaging affect on marshes, cleanup efforts such as skimming, oil collection and burning can cause additional damage.

For the study, the research group identified and sampled marsh plots ranging from no oil present to heavily-oiled during the post-spill growing season. Measurements of different vegetation characteristics were taken at the field sites and used to calibrate models that were then applied to satellite imagery from the 2009 and 2010 growing seasons (April-October). Fortunately, 2009 and 2010 were years with similar variations in temperature and precipitation, as well as no hurricanes or other disturbances that directly affected the area, except for the oil spill.

The research suggests that during the pre-spill growing season (2009), there were roughly 32 square miles of salt marsh that exhibited markers of vegetative stress and decreased productivity. After the spill, this area of stressed marsh increased dramatically to around 250 square miles. It is important to note that while the increase of stress and reduced productivity in a salt marsh is not directly related to land loss, loss can occur as a result of a weakened root system – increasing the vulnerability of salt marsh to erosion from waves, tides and storm events.

The long-term effects of the oil spill on the large and complex Gulf ecosystem are not yet known, but this first look at the short-term impact to the salt marshes of southeastern Louisiana indicates that the damage directly related to the oil spill may be significant. Some recovery of oiled marshes has been observed, but the residual oil on Gulf Coast salt marshes will have a long-term impact on overall marsh health and productivity for years to come.

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