Science

Study demonstrates importance of sediment diversions for building land in the Mississippi River Delta

Study demonstrates importance of sediment diversions for building land in the Mississippi River Delta

By Alisha A. Renfro, Ph.D., Staff Scientist, National Wildlife Federation Last week, an independent scientific panel comprised of prominent scientists from throughout the U.S. released a report, “Mississippi River Freshwater Diversions in Southern Louisiana: Effects of Wetland Vegetation, Soils, and Elevation,” which examines some of the ecological effects of freshwater river diversions. The panel concluded that there is little evidence suggesting that the existing freshwater diversions in Louisiana have appreciably reversed the rate of land loss in the region, and …

Mardi Gras Pass: Compromise will be key

By Emily Guidry Schatzel, Communications Manager, National Wildlife Federation Recent news reports suggest that the potential for compromise exists in the case of Mardi Gras Pass, the newest known distributary of the Mississippi River. The pass was discovered in 2012 when the river cut a channel through its bank in the Bohemia Spillway, a stretch without levees, giving an exciting and rare view at how a natural delta system operates. While the pass promises ecological prosperity for the delta, the …

Path Forward plan must focus on ecosystem restoration

By Whit Remer, Policy Analyst, Environmental Defense Fund The Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council recently released “The Path Forward to Restoring the Gulf Coast: A Proposed Comprehensive Plan.” The RESTORE Act, signed into law in July, required the newly created Restoration Council to publish a Proposed Plan within six months of the legislation becoming law. Only six pages in length, the Path Forward provides a general framework for the Restoration Council to follow while developing their more robust Initial Comprehensive …

Science-based decision making and the gulf oil disaster

By Alisha A. Renfro, Ph.D., Staff Scientist, National Wildlife Federation On April 20, 2010, a blowout of BP’s Macondo well, just 50 miles off the coast of Louisiana, began the largest marine oil spill in U.S. history. For more than 80 days, oil spewed from the well into the deep and dark waters of the Gulf of Mexico, quickly spreading to mid-depths and to the surface. While this disaster resulted in the mobilization of an unprecedented amount of resources to …

What is Our Coast Worth (In Dollars)?

This story was originally posted on the Coalition the Restore Coastal Louisiana’s Coastal Currents blog. By Scott Madere, Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana Our coastal wetlands have immeasurable worth to Louisiana in terms of culture. Our history, art, celebrations, recreational opportunities and so much more are tied to the muddy waters and vast green expanse of our swamps, forests and coastal marsh. Our love for our land defines us as a people, and we often cite it to those who …

New market opportunities for carbon sequestration in wetlands

By Shannon Hood, Environmental Defense Fund Terrestrial carbon sequestration is the process by which atmospheric carbon dioxide is taken up by plants through photosynthesis and stored as carbon in biomass and soil. During the process of photosynthesis, plants take carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, coupled with sunlight and water, and turn it into sugar and oxygen, allowing them to act as long-term storage facilities for carbon (“carbon sinks”). Some carbon is re-emitted during the process of respiration, but overall, vegetated …

Study on sedimentation will help planners develop effective river diversions

By Alisha A. Renfro, Ph.D., Staff Scientist, National Wildlife Federation This year, drought conditions throughout most of the country have left the Mississippi River flowing at a near all-time low. This is a stark comparison to 2011, when heavy rains and a large snowmelt in the spring sent record levels of water and sediment flowing down the river. At the Old River Control Structure north of Baton Rouge, the flow of the river is split, with 70 percent continuing down …

A Look at the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force’s Science Coordination Team

By Alisha Renfro, Ph.D., Staff Scientist, National Wildlife Federation In the aftermath of the BP oil disaster, President Obama created the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force through an executive order in October 2010. The mission of this Environmental Protection Agency-led group was to develop a long-term, holistic and science-based ecosystem restoration plan for the Gulf Coast. Included in this effort was the Science Coordination Team which involved more than 70 scientists from federal and state agencies who provided scientific …

Conference: Answering Fundamental Questions about Mississippi River Delta Restoration

By Shannon Hood, Environmental Defense Fund On October 9 and 10, the Mississippi River Delta Science and Engineering Special Team (SEST) will host its first conference, titled “Answering Fundamental Questions about Mississippi River Delta Restoration.” The SEST was convened over two years ago and is comprised of leading engineers, economists and scientists from around the country with specialties ranging from river engineering to coastal ecology to sociology. This team brings a new approach to Mississippi River Delta restoration, in that …

Hurricane Isaac Batters Louisiana Marshes, Uncovers Oil

This story was originally published by the National Wildlife Federation. By Craig Guillot, National Wildlife Federation When Hurricane Isaac struck Louisiana on the seven-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, its winds and tidal surge caused four deaths and at least $1.5 billion in insured damages. For many residents around the Mississippi River Delta, Isaac brought back memories of two recent disasters to hit the coast — Katrina and the 2010 Gulf oil disaster. Before the storm even hit land, residents in some …

How much is a Louisiana oyster worth?

By Meg Sutton, Environmental Defense Fund Oyster reefs in coastal estuaries around the globe have been degraded for the past 100-200 years due to a combination of overfishing, harmful dredging practices, decreasing water quality, sedimentation and oyster diseases.1 Many formerly productive reefs are now functionally extinct, and it is estimated that 85 percent of reefs have been lost globally.2 The majority of commercial oysters are currently sourced from only five eco-regions in the world, concentrated on the east coast of North …

The Next 50 Years: Climate change and the Coastal Master Plan: “Hope for the best but plan for the worst”

By Dr. Doug Meffert, Executive Director, Audubon Louisiana Louisiana’s 2012 Coastal Master Plan takes a realistic and critical examination of the effects of climate change impacts on the future of coastal Louisiana, both in terms of prioritization of restoration projects as well as risk reduction. In its “less optimistic scenario,” the master plan estimates 0.45 meters of sea level rise over the next fifty years. This is in addition to between zero and 25 millimeters per year of land subsidence, …

The 2012 State of the Coast Conference: Incorporating Louisiana’s past, present and future

By Meg Sutton, Environmental Defense Fund Last week, scientists, engineers, community leaders, policymakers, business owners and other coastal interests gathered in New Orleans for the 2012 State of the Coast Conference. The event was organized by the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana (CRCL) and Louisiana’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) with the mission of providing a forum in which to learn about advances in coastal science and engineering and to ensure that this knowledge is applied to current and …

The Next 50 Years: Sediment diversions as a necessary restoration tool

This is the second post in our “The Next 50 Years” Coastal Master Plan series. Check back as we continue diving into the master plan and what it means for the people and environment of the Mississippi River Delta. By Alisha A. Renfro, Ph.D., Staff Scientist, National Wildlife Federation Since 1932, coastal Louisiana has lost almost 1,900 square miles of land and if bold action is not taken, another 1,700 square miles could be lost by 2060. Louisiana’s 2012 Coastal …

Coastal restoration as a climate change adaptation strategy

By Meg Sutton, Environmental Defense Fund Global climate change has induced an increase in global mean sea level with a 3.1 mm/year average rate of increase since 1991[1]. Climate projections indicate a widespread increase of more intense precipitation events, with an associated increased risk of flooding. Similarly, climate scientists also predict an increase in hurricane wind speed and total volume. The low lying, coastal Mississippi River Delta region is particularly vulnerable to the climate change threats of sea level rise, …