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Wetland Restoration

LOUISIANA’S FRAGILE WETLANDS ARE DISAPPEARING AT A RATE OF FORTY SQUARE MILES A YEAR.  IT’S RIVERS TO THE RESCUE ON TODAY’S ENVIRONMINUTE.

THE ATCHAFALAYA AND MISSISSIPPI RIVERS ONCE RAN UNFETTERED TO THE DELTA, BRINGING SEDIMENT THAT SLOWLY BUILT UP THE COAST, CREATING WETLANDS.  BUT FLOOD CONTROL HAS CUT OFF THE WATER SUPPLY THAT’S CRUCIAL TO WETLAND DEVELOPMENT.

SO WHAT CAN BE DONE? ROBERT TWILLEY, PROFESSOR OF OCEANOGRAPHY AND COASTAL SCIENCES AT LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY, SAYS ARTIFICIAL MOVEMENT OF SEDIMENT IS A CRITICAL SHORT-TERM FIX, BUT THAT LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY MEANS DIVERTING PARTS OF THE MISSISSIPPI INTO SHALLOW BAYS. 

TWILLEY "TO RESTORE THIS DELTA REQUIRES RESTORING THE PROCESSES THAT BUILT THE DELTA TO BEGIN WITH.  (EDIT) WE HAVE TO PROTECT PEOPLE FROM THESE EXTREME FLOODING EVENTS BUT AT THE SAME TIME WE HAVE TO PROVIDE THE RESOURCES BACK INTO THE WETLANDS."

For more information, please visit http://www.lacoast.gov/reports/cwcrp/1993/ or click here.

To read more about this and other environmental health issues, go to: www.environmentalhealthnews.org, www.ourstolenfuture.org, or www.healthandenvironment.org