Coastal Latest & Greatest: 3 Videos to Watch This Weekend

A weekly round-up of what’s new in Louisiana coastal restoration

“Vanishing Paradise.” This short film by the organization of the same name explores the coast through the lens of Louisiana’s sportsmen and women. Ryan Schaefer of the Louisiana Wildlife Federation describes the price of doing nothing as, “the very docks and marinas from which we launch our boats today, will be the reefs we catch fish on tomorrow.” Check out this short film and, along with exploring our land loss problem, you’ll visit one of the few places in Louisiana that is actively gaining land and learn about our “saving grace,” Louisiana’s Coastal Master Plan.

The Mini Mississippi. LSU’s story and video, “LSU and CPRA Unveil New LSU Center for River Studies,” brings the viewer up close and personal with the Water Campus’ new Mississippi River Model. This huge, state-of-the-art tool has three purposes described by ­Clint Willson, Director of the LSU Center for River Studies, as research, education, and providing a collaborative space on the Water Campus. “I think we are going to be doing some really valuable in terms of understanding the river, understanding the hydraulics of the river and then really translating that to actionable science or engineering that the state can do,” Willson said.

The newest land on earth. Rob Masson with WVUE explores the Spanish Pass Ridge  project in his story, “Project creating new land in southern Plaquemines Parish.” Masson reports, “Coastal authorities have created more than 250 acres of new land here using sediment that used to run straight into the Gulf of Mexico.” This is the kind of progress that can be made when we put our precious natural resources to good use.

ICYMI: Our Views: Trump order to help rebuild coast. Be sure to check out this editorial from The Advocate that highlights the urgent need to get the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion constructed as quickly as possible.