#OurCoast: From the Headwaters to the Delta
Newer posts →#OurCoast: From the Headwaters to the Delta
“Jump!” the guide told us. “Jump out of the boat!” I was sitting with my colleagues in a small boat near the mouth of the Atchafalaya River, a distributary of the Mississippi. We had boarded at the dock, traveled south through the channel, and were now bobbing in open water where the murky Atchafalaya River meets the clear waters of the Gulf of Mexico. I figured our guide was making a joke – there was no way I was jumping out …
Delta Dispatches Podcast – Master Plan
Thanks for listening to the second episode of Delta Dispatchers with hosts Simone Maloz & Jacques Hebert. On today’s show Bren Haase & Dr. Denise Reed talk about the Master Plan. Below is a transcript of this week’s Delta Dispatches Podcast. Listen to the full recording here or subscribe to our feed in iTunes and Google Play. Listen to Episode 2 now! Show Transcript Jacques: Hello, you’re listening to Delta Dispatches. We’re discussing Louisiana’s coast, its people, wildlife, …
Louisiana Governor Calls on President Trump to Expedite Coastal Infrastructure Projects
Conservation groups, Coast Builders Coalition support investments in large-scale coastal restoration and protection (NEW ORLEANS – March 8, 2017) This morning, Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards sent a letter to the Administration outlining the state’s coastal restoration and protection infrastructure priorities. In his letter, Governor Edwards proposes that the Administration give high priority status to five projects included in the state’s Coastal Master Plan: Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion, Mid-Breton Sediment Diversion, Houma Navigation Canal Lock Complex, Calcasieu Salinity Control Measures, and …
Why Does the Coast Matter to You? Tell Us Your Story
The 2017 Master Plan is the road map that will guide Louisiana’s efforts to protect the coast over the next 50 years. As the plan comes up for a vote, our best weapon is your voice! Help us tell the story of our coast so legislators across the state can make the easy choice: to pass the master plan. Everyone’s interactions with Louisiana’s coast is different, so we expect your stories to be, too. Here are a few ideas to …
Delta Dispatches Podcast – Introduction
In the the inaugural episode of Delta Dispatches, Jacques and Simone speak to Steve Cochran, Campaign Director of Restore the Mississippi Delta, and Alisha Renfro, Coastal Scientist for the National Wildlife Federation. Below is a transcript of this week’s Delta Dispatches Podcast. Listen to the full recording or subscribe to our feed in iTunes and Google Play. Listen now! Introduction Jacques: Hi, this is Jacques Hebert. Simone: I’m Simone Maloz. Jacques: You’re listening to Delta Dispatches where we’re discussing …
Do Levees Alone Provide Enough Flood Protection? No, They Do Not.
The simple answer is no, but why not? Levees can be wonderfully effective, but they need to be built and built correctly. Many areas of our coast can never be inside of levee protection because of their location and the expense associated with building levees there. Levees are expensive and have to be justified economically. Areas of the coast that are too sparsely populated make it difficult to justify the construction of a levee. In addition, many areas with low …
The Delta Dispatches Podcast Returns!
That’s right, the Delta Dispatches podcast is back! Each week your host, Simone Maloz, the Campaign Director of Restore the Mississippi River Delta will be discussing Louisiana’s coast, its people, wildlife and jobs, and why restoring it matters. Episodes air weekly. Subscribe below and never miss an episode. Happy Listening! Listen to the latest episode of Delta Dispatches You can listen to all episodes of Delta Dispatches here website.
The Infrastructure Opportunity Nobody Is Talking About – Yet
This blog originally appeared on EDF Voices. In the divisive political atmosphere of 2017, there is one issue that leaders across the spectrum agree on: The immediate and compelling need to rebuild America’s worn and damaged infrastructure. Governors from 49 states have already sent a list of more than 400 projects they want President Trump to target with his promised $1 trillion infrastructure plan, which the president is expected to address in a speech tonight. With so much urgent work …
Tagged EconomicsMardi Gras Pass Is Building Land. Here’s Why It’s Important.
With Mardi Gras celebrations in full swing, the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation recently released a report examining two years of data collection and observations at Mardi Gras Pass – a naturally forming distributary of the Mississippi River that is building new land. What we’re learning at Mardi Gras Pass will help coastal planners better design sediment diversion restoration projects throughout coastal Louisiana. What is Mardi Gras Pass? Mardi Gras Pass is located in the Bohemia Spillway, where the artificial river …
How Will a Sediment Diversion Affect the Coastal Environment? The Answer Lies in the Operations.
Sediment diversions have long been proposed as an essential component in every major restoration plan in coastal Louisiana. Sediment diversions are man-made structures built directly into the Mississippi River levee system with gates that can be opened and closed to allow sediment, fresh water and nutrients to nourish and revive the dying wetlands. In the “Answering 10 Fundamental Questions about the Mississippi River Delta” report, scientists clearly demonstrated that sediment diversions are the most effective tool to build and sustain …
Is There Enough Sediment in the Mississippi River to Restore Louisiana’s Coast?
Sediment – the sands, silts, clay and mud of the Mississippi River – is the critical ingredient to coastal restoration efforts in Louisiana. All the types of restoration projects in our toolbox that build land – marsh creation, sediment diversions, ridge restoration and barrier island restoration – rely on sediment. In order to create a more certain future for the people, communities and wildlife of Louisiana, sediment must be treated like the precious resource it is, and as much of …
Welcome to the New and Improved MississippiRiverDelta.org!
Over the last several months, we’ve been hard at work tidying and sprucing up our website to provide you with a more visual, engaging and clear resource to learn about the importance of the Mississippi River Delta and the work our organizations are doing to help restore it. In tackling the redesign, our goal was to showcase the current land loss crisis facing our state, the solutions available to address it and provide you with options for how you can …
New Research Helps Scientists Answer Fundamental Questions About Coastal Restoration
When a new idea or project is introduced, people ask questions to better understand it. How and why it has come about? How it will affect people and resources? How much it will cost? These are valid questions that deserve well-researched and clear answers, especially when it comes to large-scale ecosystem restoration efforts, such as restoring coastal Louisiana. In 2012, Restore the Mississippi River Delta and the Science and Engineering Special Team set out to answer 10 fundamental questions about …