Scientists still busy with NRDA process
By Steve Phillips, WLOX-TV. May 17, 2012.
"OCEAN SPRINGS, MS (WLOX) – It's the legal process that will determine the damages caused by the BP oil spill. The Natural Resource Damage Assessment will also outline the restoration that's required to make things right…" (Read more)

CRCL planting 40,000 plants to restore wetlands
By Erin Steuber, KATC-TV (Lafayette, La.). May 17, 2012.
"By the end of the week, tens of thousands of plants will be planted to help protect the coast…" (Read more)

Can Louisiana’s Coast Be Saved?

The state says it can and that it has a plan to protect and restore the imperiled Louisiana coast.

Tune in as experts discuss the planned projects, their costs, and their chances for success.

Watch RESHAPING A GREATER NEW ORLEANS: REBUILDING OUR COAST Sunday, May 20 at 8:00 p.m. Repeats Thursday, May 24 at 7:00 p.m., Friday, May 25 at 10 p.m., and Sunday, May 27 at noon.

The State of Louisiana is finalizing the Comprehensive Master Plan for a Sustainable Coast which will serve as a blueprint for protecting and preserving the Louisiana coast. Learn more about what will be done to stop the loss of our wetlands and barrier islands when coastal experts Dr. Denise Reed, University of New Orleans; Dr. Robert Thomas, Loyola University New Orleans; Mark Davis, Tulane University join WYES Director of Local Initiatives Marcia Kavanaugh to discuss how the Master Plan will impact coastal communities and industries.

Also, check out our web project where you can learn how to become part of the coastal rebuilding effort at http://www.wyes.org/reshapingnola/.

This web project also offers an opportunity to hear first-hand from those working on restoration plans and projects, and much more.

OUR VIEW: Morganza requires knowing what is, isn't
Editorial, The Tri-Parish Times (Houma, La.). May 16, 2012.
"There is no denying it, the Morganza to the Gulf project is an impressive undertaking. It is the best imperfect plan available, designed to reduce the impact of tidal surges, slow storms from washing away marshland and delay drainage from damaging inhabited areas…" (Read more)

What is Morganza to the Gulf, anyway?
By Shell Armstrong, The Tri-Parish Times. May 16, 2012.
"We’ve been warned. Coastal Louisiana is at risk. In the event of the “Big One” – monster storms like 2005’s Katrina or a slow mover like Rita – our homes, businesses and communities are vulnerable…" (Read more)

Hurricane system cheaper as do-it-yourself project
By Casey Gisclair, The Tri-Parish Times. May 16, 2012.
"Before Hurricane Katrina tormented Louisiana in 2005, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ price to build hurricane levees was steep, but somewhat doable with the right local and state budgeting, combined with help from the federal government…" (Read more)

Gateway to authorization hinges on next water bill
By Eric Besson, The Tri-Parish Times. May 16, 2012.
"December marks 12 years since the Morganza-to-the-Gulf hurricane protection system first received congressional authorization. Seven years later, it was authorized for a second time…" (Read more)

Louisianans seek mitigation reform
By Eric Besson, The Tri-Parish Times. May 16, 2012.
"Wetlands damage is a necessary byproduct of flood-protection construction, one that requires restoration efforts elsewhere to offset the environmentally negative impacts…" (Read more)

Dolphins photographed in damage assessment process
By Harlan Kirgan, The (Pascagoula) Mississippi Press. May 16, 2012.
"PASCAGOULA, Mississippi — Dolphins in the Mississippi Sound from western Horn Island to eastern Petit Bois Island have been photographed since the summer of 2010 as part of the assessment of damages from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill…" (Read more)

Earlier today, the Louisiana House of Representatives Committee on Natural Resources and Environment unanimously approved the 2012 Coastal Master Plan (CR 46) and Annual State Coastal Protection and Restoration Plan (CR 41). On Monday, both plans passed the House Transportation Committee by a vote of 11-0. The next and final step for the master plan is consideration by the full Louisiana House of Representatives, which will likely happen early next week.

The Coastal Master Plan lays out a bold 50-year vision for protecting and restoring Louisiana's coastal area. Earlier this month, the Louisiana State Senate passed the master plan and sent it to the House for review. Be sure to follow our Delta Dispatches blog for more updates.

Well, that’s not a lie when in comes to Congress. And it’s no laughing matter as far as Louisiana’s efforts to save its coast and wetlands…" (Read more)

Boxer: Highway deal will include measure to funnel oil-spill penalty money to Gulf
By Andrew Restuccia, The Hill (Washington). May 15, 2012.
"A final compromise transportation package will include a provision sending billions of dollars in fines from the BP oil spill to Gulf Coast states, Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairwoman Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) said Tuesday…" (Read more)

Scientists study oil's impact on birds
By Nikki Buskey, The Daily Comet (Lafourche Parish, La.). May 15, 2012.
"Some of the most memorable and horrific images of the Gulf oil spill were of birds, struggling and slathered from beak to tail in thick, chocolatey oil…" (Read more)

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.

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.

Hundreds of miles off the coast of Louisiana, a BP oil rig exploded killing 11 men. By the time it was capped, it's estimated some five million barrels of oil had contaminated the gulf waters…" (Read more)

Bill would prohibit change for shrimpers
By Nikki Buskey, The Houma (La.) Courier. May 11, 2012.
"An amendment that would prohibit federal money from being used to require Turtle Excluder Devices on shrimp trawls passed the U.S. House of Representatives Thursday…" (Read more)

Program helps fishermen market their catch
By Alan Matherne, LSU Ag Center. May 11, 2012.
"The spring brown shrimp season has begun. Many people are looking to buy fresh shrimp directly from shrimpers or the docks. And local shrimpers are looking to get just a little more money for their larger, premium-quality shrimp by selling directly to those people…" (Read more)