The Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-East is expected to file suit Wednesday against more than 100 oil and gas companies for contributing to the disappearance of Louisiana’s wetlands. The lawsuit argues that decades of drilling, dredging and extracting has destroyed wetlands that once provided a cushion against hurricane storm surge, forcing the agency to spend more on flood protection.
The diversions of the past are not the diversions of the future.
The agency's concerns mirror those voiced by opponents of diversions.
Research shows that we won't be able to rebuild the coast the same way it was created, with sediment flowing down the river.
Problems dogged a year-long effort to close and open the gate successfully.
On the panel: John Barry, David Muth, Anne Rolfes, Kerry St. Pé and Aaron Viles.
Time-lapse images illustrate what we knew was happening: Over 30 years, islands and beaches have moved north, channels have widened, and marshes have turned to open water without a blade of brass for miles. But they also show portions of the coast growing, reinvigorated by restoration projects.
Is it too late to save southeastern Louisiana from the encroaching Gulf? Pose your questions and opinions.
Though the river is crucial to the economic and environmental well-being of 31 states, there's no plan to manage competing uses of the river water. Shipping companies, municipal water supplies, industrial plants and coastal restoration projects all need water. How will we decide who gets what?
Congress may require the U.S. Army Corps — rather than the local flood authority — to operate the gate.
