Fifty years after the historic 1973 flood, land is still forming in the Wax Lake and Atchafalaya River deltas. It’s held in place by the roots of coastal trees, which protect from flooding and hurricane winds and store carbon dioxide.
By this summer, the island will be 1,000 acres larger. But the state will have to periodically rebuild it in the coming years.
Research into genetically enhanced oysters could give oystermen a way to adapt if coastal restoration makes waters near shore inhospitable to the shellfish.
Nearly 20 percent of the nation's oil and gas passes through Port Fourchon, accessible only by a battered, two-lane road. With the Gulf of Mexico rising and wetlands crumbling, it's on the way to becoming an island.
State officials and U.S Rep. Garret Graves want to know why the projections are half of what they expected.
The plan to rebuild Louisiana's wetlands centers on massive diversions that will fill bays with freshwater and mud. The fishing industry is worried those diversions will push their target species farther offshore. So environmental groups are working with chefs to expand the market for freshwater seafood.
The state coastal agency expected $140 million next spring. Now it looks like it will get $60 million to $70 million.
The swamp is suffering from a lack of freshwater from natural flooding and from the penetration of saltwater through canals dug for logging. If nothing is done, scientists say the forest will become open water over time. The first phase of the project will be funded with $14 million in BP oil spill fines.
The system will help scientists learn how restoration projects are working.
