Archive for Restoration Projects


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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Take action: Help protect Louisiana's coast

May 15, 2012 | Posted by Elizabeth Skree in 2012 Coastal Master Plan, Army Corps of Engineers, BP Oil Disaster, Diversions, Myrtle Grove Sediment Diversion, Restoration Projects

By Elizabeth Skree, Environmental Defense Fund

The Myrtle Grove sediment diversion is a linchpin of Louisiana's groundbreaking plan to restore the coast and repair damage inflicted by the BP oil disaster. However, the State and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are considering permits for the construction of a massive coal export terminal right next to this critical restoration project. Allowing these permits to proceed could stop the Myrtle Grove project in its tracks.

RAM Terminal, LLC has recently applied for permission to locate a coal export facility immediately adjacent to the location of the Myrtle Grove sediment diversion. The proposed facility will likely have a significant impact on the water and sediment flow in the river — and would therefore impact the Myrtle Grove sediment diversion’s ability to restore the surrounding wetlands and marshes.

For a state that has lost nearly 2,000 square miles of wetlands and barrier islands, Myrtle Grove represents one of the best opportunities to build and sustain our coast. By harnessing the river’s water and sediment, Myrtle Grove can sustain coastal communities and ecosystems for decades to come. Allowing the RAM coal export facility to proceed without demonstrating that it will not have a negative effect on Myrtle Grove would set a dangerous precedent. As the Coastal Master Plan moves through the State Legislature, Louisiana and the Army Corps must make restoration a top priority.

The public has been invited to comment on the project, but the deadline is close of business today!

Louisiana residents: Please take action and tell the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and State of Louisiana to demand proof that this coal export facility will not interfere with plans to restore our coast.

Action alerts:

Environmental Defense Fund: Take Action: Put Louisiana's Coast over Big Coal

National Wildlife Federation: Defend Habitat Restoration for Brown Pelicans

Since the 1930s, Louisiana has lost almost 2,000 square miles of coastal wetlands and barrier islands. Not only are these vital for species such as the brown pelican, they provide critical hurricane protections for Louisiana’s coastal residents. Louisiana's 2012 Coastal Master Plan estimates that restoration projects like the one at Myrtle Grove will create as many as 800 square miles of new healthy coastal habitats for pelicans and other wildlife over the next 50 years.

Take action and tell the State of Louisiana and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that restoring the coast is a national priority and should not be blocked due to a new coal facility.

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Christian Marsh – Be a part of Louisiana’s next restoration success story

May 10, 2012 | Posted by Delta Dispatches in Meetings/Events, People, Restoration Projects

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

By Scott Madere, Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana

If it’s one thing we can count on at the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana (CRCL), it’s the hard work and enthusiasm of our volunteers. Since our Community Based Restoration Program was created in 2000, more than 8,000 volunteers have joined us on the front lines of our coast, directly restoring 3,600 acres of wetlands.

Terraces like this one in Christian Marsh are simple earthen barriers, that, when coordinated, can break up waves that threaten vulnerable areas of coast.

Next week marks a new chapter in CRCL volunteer history as we take on quite possibly our biggest project ever. On May 14, 17, 18 and 19, CRCL volunteers will plant nearly 40,000 plants along newly constructed marsh terraces to help prevent further erosion and to stabilize the soil in these newly-created marsh features.

So what is a marsh terrace? Simply put, marsh terraces are earthen barriers created to reduce the impact of wind and waves on marsh that is under threat of severe erosion. They are often arranged in patterns where the terraces overlap each other to diffuse wave action on the shoreline.

This is Christian Marsh from above. The patterns of terracing are deliberately designed to be as close to natural formation as possible.

For the past year, CRCL, the Rainey Alliance and the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority of Louisiana have been constructing terraces to protect the fragile wetlands of Christian Marsh. All totaled, CRCL and its partners have placed 25,000 linear feet of terraces.  That’s 83 football fields of coastal barrier for Christian Marsh! But just like any earth feature, these terraces are themselves vulnerable to wave action and wind erosion.

That’s where you come in.

The planting activities we have scheduled for the week of May 14 are designed to bolster these terraces and hold them in place. We need as many volunteers as we can to set plants into the terraces and strengthen their protective ability.

If you want to make a difference in a big way, sign up to volunteer for this critical project today on our website.

Like birds? They LOVE Christian Marsh. Help these guys out by volunteering to save their home!

As an added bonus, the terraces and the plants that grow on them will help form additional habitat for an area that is lush with wildlife, particularly migratory waterfowl. If you have never been to Christian Marsh, it is a virtual paradise for ducks, herons, ibises, roseate spoonbill and brown pelicans. Your volunteer day takes place in one of the most beautiful areas of Louisiana marsh. It’s a beautiful place worth saving.

Additional support for this project comes from Cargill Dicing Technology, Coypu, NOAA and Restore America’s Estuaries.

The Rainey Alliance is a restoration partnership comprised of McIlhenny Company, the National Audubon Society, Sagrera Estates and Vermilion Corporation.

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Restoring the Lower 9th Ward: A resilient vision for New Orleans

May 7, 2012 | Posted by Delta Dispatches in BP Oil Disaster, Clean Water Act, Community Resiliency, Congress, Hurricane Katrina, People, Restoration Projects, RESTORE Gulf Coast States Act, Videos

This post was originally published on the National Wildlife Federation's Wildlife Promise blog.

By Amanda Moore, National Wildlife Federation’s Coastal Louisiana Organizer in New Orleans

What would you do if, in one day, you lost everything? I’m not just talking about your personal possessions; I’m talking about your entire community — your church, your grocery store, your school. The folks you meet in the video below, Warrenetta Banks and John Taylor, have lived out this scenario every day since Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005 and have chosen to respond with passion and dedication to recovery — advocating for smart, green urban planning on one side of the levee and a healthy wetland ecosystem on the other side of the levee.

Warrenetta and John are both lifelong residents of the Lower Ninth Ward in New Orleans. In the years since the catastrophic flooding, they’ve helped their community recover to be one of the “greenest” in the nation — solar panels, community gardens, and LEED certified homes are typical encounters as you walk down the street. That’s on one side of the levee.

Residents like Warrenetta and John understand all too well that the wetland ecosystem on the other side of the levee is critical to their future and safety. Healthy wetlands serve as a buffer to storm surges and winds and help the levees do their job to protect communities. National Wildlife Federation is one organization working closely with the Lower Ninth Ward Center for Sustainable Engagement and Development (where Warrenetta and John work) to plan and gain funding for restoration of the 400-acre cypress swamp bordering the community (featured in the video) as well as the entire 58,000 acres wetland ecosystem the swamp is connected to, which once buffered much of the Greater New Orleans area from storms and provided important wildlife habitat.

Without healthy wetlands, coastal communities like the Lower Ninth Ward remain very vulnerable to disasters. Urgent funding is needed for restoration. The RESTORE Act, legislation now making its way through the U.S. Congress, will use a portion of Clean Water Act penalties from the BP disaster to fund projects that will restore Gulf Coast ecosystems, including wetlands that protect communities and provide critical habitat for gulf wildlife. Right now, you can make a difference in the future of the Gulf Coast. Learn more about the RESTORE Act and share your voice!

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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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Louisiana’s Coastal Master Plan moves on to state legislature for approval

March 29, 2012 | Posted by Delta Dispatches in 2012 Coastal Master Plan, Community Resiliency, Diversions, Hurricanes, Restoration Projects

By David Muth, National Wildlife Federation

On March 21, Louisiana’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) unanimously adopted the revised Comprehensive Master Plan for a Sustainable Coast, which lays out a 50-year restoration plan for Louisiana’s coast. The Mississippi River Delta Restoration Campaign has worked closely with the state in the development of the plan, and many of our recommendations for improving and strengthening the draft were adopted in the final version.

Map depicting sediment starved wetlands and areas of wasted sediment in southeast Louisiana. Credit: CPRA 2012 Coastal Master Plan final draft

One such recommendation made by our campaign was to create clear paths forward for implementation of the nonstructural hurricane protection program and the design of a lower Mississippi River realignment. The final version of the plan also includes revisions supported by coastal stakeholders during the public review process, including relocating marsh creation or shoreline protection projects to locations that would help buffer vulnerable coastal communities. While these revised projects were not necessarily the best projects for optimizing land creation, they were justified because of the synergies they could provide with nearby protection projects. Even with these changes, 85% of the projects in the final plan were chosen by the Planning Tool to optimize land building in the face of less optimistic sea level rise scenarios.

Proposed Mississippi River diversions. Credit: CPRA 2012 Coastal Master Plan final draft

The final Coastal Master Plan revolutionizes the way Louisiana intends to move toward a sustainable coast. It proposes to spend $3.8 billion to reintroduce 50% of the peak flow of the Mississippi River into the most sediment-starved and deteriorating parts of the delta — a key goal of our campaign. This reintroduction could build up to 300 square miles of new delta over the next 50 years in the face of moderate subsidence and sea level rise. The plan also recommends designing a new navigation system to free up most of the remaining 50% of peak river flow for a new lower river alignment that will build additional new deltaic land. It also dedicates $20 billion toward the creation of over 200 square miles of marsh through sediment pipeline delivery to areas that cannot be reached by riverine reintroduction of sediment.

Credit: CPRA 2012 Coastal Master Plan final draft

Additionally, the plan provides for increased hurricane risk reduction for every coastal resident, by building resiliency for coastal communities through nonstructural measures such as elevating buildings, strengthening infrastructure and facilitating voluntary relocation. This fundamental shift away from the old standard of total reliance on levees, floodwalls and floodgates ratifies another fundamental goal of our campaign.

The Coastal Master Plan now goes to the Louisiana Legislature for adoption during the current session, which began on Monday and continues through June 4, 2012. If adopted, we move an important step closer towards implementing the goals of our campaign. Louisiana could become a world leader among vulnerable coastal areas in learning to live with the realities of future climate change and in learning to start living with water and natural processes rather than conducting a futile fight to the death against them.

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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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Predictive models form scientific backbone of Louisiana Coastal Master Plan

February 8, 2012 | Posted by Delta Dispatches in 2012 Coastal Master Plan, Hurricanes, Meetings/Events, Restoration Projects, Science

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

Louisiana’s Draft 2012 Coastal Master Plan is a bold, ecosystem-scale restoration strategy that outlines a 50-year plan to combat the land loss epidemic in the Mississippi River Delta. The plan puts forth solutions to addressing the destructive impacts of sea-level rise, subsidence, increased storm intensity, marsh collapse and other factors on Louisiana’s disappearing coastline. The plan is a science-based approach that, at its core, uses a suite of linked models to predict the future of Louisiana’s coastal landscape and the potential damage to communities over the next 50 years, both with and without implementation of the plan’s restoration and risk reduction projects.

The Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority is hosting a series of seminars at universities throughout the state to give residents an overview of the plan’s predictive modeling efforts. These seminars go hand-in-hand with the master plan public meetings held in January. At each seminar, one or two of the individual models is explained by a leading researcher in his/her related fields. A full list of seminars is available online.

This pioneering modeling effort began 18 months ago, when a group of scientists and engineers were gathered to carry out and serve as a technical advisory team for the effort. The challenge was to use existing models, or create new models if none existed, to better replicate complex coastal processes and allow for the analysis of various future environmental condition scenarios as well as over 400 different restoration and protection projects.

Seven calibrated and interconnected models — each developed and refined by a team of scientists — were used to characterize different aspects and functions of the coastal Louisiana landscape:

  • Eco-Hydrology: Predicts changes in the flow of water, salinity, water level, sediment, nutrients and other aspects of water quality within the estuaries.
  • Wetland Morphology: Predicts losses and changes to wetlands by analyzing factors that affect wetland elevation (e.g., subsidence, sea-level rise) and factors that affect the configuration of the landscape (e.g., storms/hurricanes, saltwater intrusion, sediment transport).
  • Barrier Shoreline Morphology: Predicts changes in the barrier island shorelines and inlets due to processes such as relative sea-level rise, subsidence, erosion, storms and loss of interior wetlands.
  • Vegetation: Predicts changes in the types and location of vegetation based on changes in wetland area and the movement and characteristics of water in the estuaries.
  • Ecosystem Services: A group of models that predicts changes in habitat for commercially and recreationally important species as well as other key services. The individual species models included those for brown shrimp, white shrimp, American alligator, green-winged teal, eastern oyster, rosette spoonbill and others.
  •  Storm/Surge Waves: Predicts the storm surge and waves that result from various hurricane-level wind speeds and directions. This model is important for understanding the effect that structural protection such as levees and floodgates could have on reducing the effects of storms and waves on coastal communities, infrastructure and ecosystems.
  • Risk Assessment: Predicts the damage to assets in the coastal area caused by waves and storm surge by estimating the flooding that would result from levees being overtopped and flooding in areas without structural protection.

The purpose of the 2012 Coastal Master Plan is to identify restoration and protection projects that will create a more resilient and sustainable Louisiana coastline. The suite of predictive models developed for the plan was used to predict the future of Louisiana landscape without any action, as well as the future of the coast with individual restoration and protection projects under different environmental scenarios. The glimpse into our possible future if no large-scale restoration projects are implemented is bleak, with a potential loss of 800 to 1800 square miles of land. To avoid this future, large-scale coastal restoration projects, like diversions, are required to maximize natural land-building processes and build a more sustainable future in the face of uncertain environmental conditions.

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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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