Cornelia Dean, writing for the New York Times, reports that a new study by LSU scientists finds that inland dams trap so much sediment from the Mississippi River that it can no longer halt the coastal erosion occurring in Louisiana's wetlands. As we reported last week, there is discussion about breaking levees south of New Orleans to allow the river sediment to replenish the marshes and wetlands. This study indicates that may not be enough. From the article:
Read more here.The finding does not suggest it would be pointless to divert the muddy water into the marshes, one of the researchers, Harry H. Roberts, a coastal scientist, said in an interview. “Any meaningful restoration of our coast has to involve river sediment,” he said.
But he said that officials would have to choose which parts of the landscape can be saved and which must be abandoned and acknowledge that lives and businesses will be disrupted. Instead of breaking levees far south of New Orleans, where relatively few people live, Dr. Roberts said, officials should consider diversions much closer to New Orleans, where there are more people and infrastructure, possibly into the LaFourche, Terrebonne or St. Bernard basins closer to the city.
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