Louisiana’s coastal universities are taking steps to reroute the Mississippi River and provide native plant and animal life with necessary nutrients.
John Day, a University professor of coastal ecology, said that for two years, faculty and students have put forth “enormous effort” and researched the causes of the Mississippi delta’s deterioration.
Day is chairman of the National Technology Review committee, a group of 12 professors and scientists from LSU and other universities in the state who developed projects from “careful documentary of the deterioration rates of the coastline.”
Day said two major factors contributing to coastal erosion are leveeing the river and inefficiency of water flow through navigation canals.
The river has been redirected by leveeing to create residential areas and to drill for oil, Day said.
“The river is the lifeblood of the delta,” Day said. “Cutting it off prevents natural sediments and nutrients from reaching the delta and nourishing the plants whose roots keep the sediment in place.”
Research has deduced ways to replenish the natural nutrient concentration of the delta by recycling nutrients into marshes and swamps and exposing those areas to higher plant productivity.
“If the coast and barrier islands which provide defense for Louisiana’s mainland erode, the infrastructure will become vulnerable to storms and other activity that can cause great damage,” Day said.
Researchers also attempted to reroute water flow back to its natural course by creating diversions, gates in levees that allow water to flow when sediment and nutrient percentages in areas of the delta become low.
“Our goal is to reconnect the river with the delta,” Day said.
Emily Hyfield, a resident associate of coastal ecology, is involved in the research project near New Orleans in Caernarvon, which involves creating diversions in the levees.
“Creating diversions is a new tactic to artificially create flooding to assist the native vegetation and animals,” Hyfield said. “Plants and species not tolerant to salt water die because of salt water intrusion.”
The government that will ultimately decide the fate of Louisiana’s wetlands, Day said.
“Over the next 30 years, over $10 billion would be necessary to rebuild Louisiana’s coastline,” Day said.
To receive financial aid, the research teams have compiled reports detailing diversion methods which will be published soon.
Public hearings hoping to garner public output on the diversion project will be held Wednesday in Abbeville, La., and Thursday in New Orleans.
After these hearings, an authorization bill will be developed and sent to the U.S. Congress to request financial aid for levee diversions.
“Many commercial companies like Tabasco are becoming more aware of our problems and are spreading the news of our crisis,” said Harry Roberts, Director of Acadiana Area Coastal Studies. “They are realizing the necessity of Louisiana’s wetlands, and their impact on seafood production on a national scale. It’s not just a local problem.”