Sediment diversions not the way to rebuild Louisiana’s coast
Research shows that we won't be able to rebuild the coast the same way it was created, with sediment flowing down the river.
Tag: Coastal restoration
LSU scientists warn: Don’t let nitrogen anxiety undermine fight to save coast
Concern that nitrogen-fed vegetation has degraded Massachusetts wetlands is no reason to stop freshwater diversions here, the authors argue.
Video: Bob Marshall interviews experts about coastal loss
On the panel: John Barry, David Muth, Anne Rolfes, Kerry St. Pé and Aaron Viles.
30 years of time-lapse satellite images show coastal Louisiana wasting away
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.
Chat replay: Bob Marshall discusses challenges facing coastal Louisiana
Is it too late to save southeastern Louisiana from the encroaching Gulf? Pose your questions and opinions.
Coastal restoration efforts complicated by lack of plan for Mississippi River
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?
Historic study to find out what the Mississippi River really carries to help coastal restoration
Less than half of the water, and just 19 percent of the sediments, carried in the Mississippi River past the Atchafalaya make it to the Gulf. The finding casts new light on the potential of diversions to create land in adjacent basins — a key strategy in the state's $50 billion plan to save southeast Louisiana from washing away.
Survey: Americans nationwide willing to shell out personally to save our coast
Researcher says he was surprised at how many people said they would help and how much they would commit.
New research indicates Mississippi River diversions could harm marshland
The rallying cry for coastal restoration has been, “Put the river back into the marsh.” But a new study shows that fertilizer found in the river could weaken the marsh plants and soil. More troubling is another study that concludes we don’t really know whether these diversions are building land.
Natural river diversion at ‘Mardi Gras Pass’ gains support from political, commercial interests
Alternatives to plugging the crevasse include conduits beneath the levee or a bridge over the gap. These moves would buy time while scientists determine the pros and cons of this "free" diversion project and its potential impact on other projects planned as part of the struggle to rebuild a vanishing coast.
