Are the Louisiana wetlands really disappearing? (New Orleans, Baton Rouge: home, live, beaches)

[Zepheyr]

Greetings, fellow Lake Charles resident here, native of Texas but been here since 2001!

Anyway, was reading the Wikipedia entry on Louisiana and came across this quote:

"The southern coast of Louisiana in the United States is among the fastest disappearing areas in the world. Rising waters and erosion (both natural and man-made) have led to the state losing a land mass equivalent to 30 football fields every day. And as the communities disappear, more and more people are leaving the region."

I admit I've never really thought much about it even though I've lived here for over a decade. I'm not much of a hunter or fisherman as an adult so I don't find myself heading into Louisiana's wilderness regions to notice this environmental degradation. If this is really happening I feel stupid for not realizing it.

Is this really true? Is anyone doing anything to stop it?

[Innotech]

Yes, its really true and VERY visible.

I have found pictures that show how scarily quickly it is occurring.

[annie_himself]

Unfortunately yes, but it's nature. Maybe we'll have more beaches.

[ORLwizyan]

Thank you son for knowing and learning about your state.

This issue is something that the ORL plans to take on upon formation, Its something that really in truth is one of the major, unbelievable reasons why this campaign began in the first place.

Now I'm not going to lie to you and say that we have a golden plan, but we do have one.

I'm also not going to lie to you and say that we have Environmental Engineers on our side at this point because we currently do not.

But I can proudly say that as a pro Louisianian campaigning group the ORL will do the utmost in our power to prevent such things to continue into the next century upon formation.

[ORLwizyan]

And yes some efforts have been take by the current administrations in power today:


Just a few links I remember:
Civilly and by-State ( though you may say in vain )


Civic Duty at work:

La. Groups Work To Stop Coastal Erosion - New Orleans News Story - WDSU New Orleans

http://www.americaswetlandresources....tmastrees.html

State Effort:

State funds run out on coastal erosion effort | Home | The Advocate — Baton Rouge, LA

heres a State site for this issue:

http://coastal.louisiana.gov/index.c...catid=0&elid=0


Though I don't want to try and make the Fed. seem like an issue in this technically the are:

NOLA.com: Times-Picayune Graphics

Now you may argue after watching that that we are just as responsible as the Fed. but the people of South Louisiana are not Environmental Engineers, we may want protection from Hurricanes, Storms and River Overflow but the majority of us do not have degrees in such issues. Therefore those who are greatly responsible would be the U.S. Gov., at least for the last centuries.

[Innotech]

The Mississippi River wants to relocate. thats what it really comes down to.
Artifically keeping it in place is sinking everything. It want to go down the Atchafalaya River presently and its not allowed to for obvious economic reasons. I think the best way to help it unfortunately would mean losing some cities and settlement areas forever and allowing natural flooding to take place. All the levees and flood control structures create a channel straight into the gulf, which will not build up new land. where it is allowed to flow freely, from the Atchafalaya swampland, is where you see new land being formed. This puts Lafayette into a good situation because it becomes more protected by land in case of a hurricane. I truly fear for Southeastern Louisianas future. There are a lot of people in the direct path of a catastrophe that is gradually occurring.

[WhoDat2011]

Yes it is deteorating but it not due to nature, but two major events. Ever since the Corps built levies around the river in the late 20's the deteroriation has begun. Sediments flowing from the river to the wetlands were stopped and this loss of sedmient has been something that has caused land to die. Second, the oil companies began dredging in the middle of last century and salt and fresh water began to mix together which caused more erosion.

[annie_himself]

River charts new course | Home | The Advocate — Baton Rouge, LA