Latest Mississippi River Delta News: May 29, 2013

Corps of Engineers concludes $10.3 billion, 98-mile-long Morganza to the Gulf levee is ‘economically justified’
By Mark Schleifstein, The Times-Picayune (New Orleans). May 28, 2013.
“The Army Corps of Engineers has concluded that construction of a 98-mile-long, $10.3 billion Morganza to the Gulf hurricane levee system that will protect Houma and surrounding communities from storm surges “is economically justified, environmentally acceptable and engineeringly sound…” (Read more)

LSU scientists warn: Don’t let nitrogen anxiety undermine fight to save coast
By Paul Kemp, adjunct professor, and John W. Day Jr., distinguished professor emeritus, LSU Deptartment of Oceanography and Coastal Science, The Lens (New Orleans). May 28, 2013.
“There’s widespread agreement that puncturing levees and diverting sediment-rich Mississippi River water into adjacent wetlands is key to saving the southeast Louisiana coast. Recently, however, debate over the efficacy of diversions has been reopened by disagreement about the extent to which nitrogen from fertilizer runoff damages salt-marsh plants…” (Read more)

‘Tis the season
Gambit (New Orleans). May 28, 2013.
“Last week’s horrific tornado, which killed 24 people in Moore, Okla., served as a reminder that the southern United States is in its severe weather season. For those of us who remember the scenes following Hurricane Katrina and the federal floods nearly eight years ago, the televised images of destruction, despair and hopelessness were all too familiar. Sadly, the people who live around Oklahoma City had been there before — in 1999, when a tornado outbreak killed dozens of people and devastated Moore. There’s not much you can do when a twister of that magnitude is bearing down on your house, but preparation can and does save lives…” (Read more)

Snakes in the Louisiana capitol
WWL Radio (Baton Rouge, La.). May 28, 2013.
“Officials at the Louisiana State Capitol are trying to find ways to keep snakes from entering the building…” (Read more)