In a few short years, some residents and experts say, the town of Grand Isle will look vastly different to its residents.
As the wetlands surrounding the town continue to recede at alarming rates, there is little doubt that Louisiana faces the potential of losing its only inhabited barrier island. It is a loss indicative of the much larger problem of vanishing wetlands across the state’s Gulf Coast region.
And according to the most pessimistic reports, Grand Isle could cease to exist entirely if salt water intrusion and erosion continue at their present rates.
In an ongoing series of stories, The Times-Picayune predicts that in as few as 10 years the damage to the state’s wetlands – the first line of defense from hurricanes such as Katrina and Rita – could become irreversible. Land loss in the Mississippi Delta has increased dramatically in the past 20 years as levee expansion effectively stifled the river’s ability to deposit silt, which serves as the foundation for wetland expansion and barrier islands. Coupled with coastal canals that allow salt water to intrude and kill inland marsh grasses, the wetlands barely had a chance to survive.
The time has long since passed for the state’s legislators to take responsibility and make the necessary changes to have a positive impact on Louisiana’s wetlands. If they don’t, we may lose treasured places like Grand Isle.
Many people cite the massive role petrochemical and seafood companies’ play in the state’s economy as the reason efforts have stalled in turning the tide for wetlands. And admittedly, these companies provide a great deal of much-needed money to a state desperate for funds.
But the state’s legislators have an obligation to protect their citizens in the long term regardless of whether it causes the economy to suffer in the short term. The economic damage left in the wake of another major hurricane barreling through the state will dwarf any potential losses the state may face by telling petrochemical and seafood companies that they must do their part to enact change as well. We saw how expensive hurricanes can be when the state was sent reeling to the tune of several billion dollars after Katrina and Rita.
The state and its people must begin thinking about the future and be prepared to make sacrifices so Louisiana does not lose many of the charms that make it distinctive in the first place.
We have made our riverbed, but we have a moral and environmental obligation to do what we can so we don’t wind up sleeping in it.
Managing Editor Justin Fritscher recused himself from this editorial because he did the reporting for the corresponding news story.
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