ebook img

Drawing Louisiana's New Map: Addressing Land Loss in Coastal Louisiana PDF

205 Pages·2006·3.31 MB·English
Save to my drive
Quick download
Download
Most books are stored in the elastic cloud where traffic is expensive. For this reason, we have a limit on daily download.

Preview Drawing Louisiana's New Map: Addressing Land Loss in Coastal Louisiana

DRAWING LOUISIANA'S NEW MAP ADDRESSING LAND LOSS IN COASTAL LOUISIANA Committee on the Restoration and Protection of Coastal Louisiana Ocean Studies Board Division on Earth and Life Studies THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS 500 Fifth Street, N.W. Washington, DC 20001 NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Gov- erning Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engi- neering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for ap- propriate balance. This study was supported by Cooperative Agreement No. 2512-03-01 and Coop- erative Agreement No. 435-300458 between the National Academy of Sciences and the State of Louisiana with support from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publi- cation are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the organizations or agencies that provided support for the project. International Standard Book Number 0-309-10054-2 Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 2006920074 Cover: Images of the cypress swamp and navigation canal were provided by Dr. Donald Davis of Louisiana State University. Additional copies of this report are available from the National Academies Press, 500 Fifth Street, N.W., Lockbox 285, Washington, DC 20055; (800) 624-6242 or (202) 334-3313 (in the Washington metropolitan area); Internet, http://www.nap.edu. Copyright 2006 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating soci- ety of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedi- cated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone is president of the National Academy of Sciences. The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its mem- bers, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advis- ing the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. Wm. A. Wulf is president of the National Academy of Engineering. The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Insti- tute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Harvey V. Fineberg is president of the Institute of Medicine. The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sci- ences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy’s purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal gov- ernment. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Acad- emy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing ser- vices to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communi- ties. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone and Dr. Wm. A. Wulf are chair and vice chair, respectively, of the National Research Council. www.national-academies.org COMMITTEE ON THE RESTORATION AND PROTECTION OF COASTAL LOUISIANA ROBERT DEAN (Chair), University of Florida, Gainesville JEFFREY BENOIT, SRA International, Inc., Arlington, Virginia STEPHEN FARBER, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania REINHARD E. FLICK, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, California MARGOT GARCIA, Virginia Commonwealth University (retired), Tucson, Arizona PETER GOODWIN, University of Idaho, Boise DANIEL HUPPERT, University of Washington, Seattle JOSEPH KELLEY, University of Maine, Orono LISA LEVIN, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, California SCOTT NIXON, University of Rhode Island, Narragansett JOHN M. TEAL, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (retired), Rochester, Massachusetts L. DONELSON WRIGHT, College of William and Mary, Gloucester Point, Virginia Staff DAN WALKER, Scholar JODI BOSTROM, Research Associate iv OCEAN STUDIES BOARD SHIRLEY A. POMPONI (Chair), Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution, Fort Pierce, Florida LEE G. ANDERSON, University of Delaware, Newark WHITLOW AU, University of Hawaii at Manoa ROBERT B. DITTON, Texas A&M University, College Station ROBERT DUCE, Texas A&M University, College Station MARY (MISSY) H. FEELEY, ExxonMobil Exploration Company, Houston, Texas PAUL G. GAFFNEY II, Monmouth University, West Long Branch, New Jersey HOLLY GREENING, Tampa Bay Estuary Program, St. Petersburg, Florida STANLEY R. HART, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Massachusetts CYNTHIA M. JONES, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia WILLIAM A. KUPERMAN, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, California WILLIAM F. MARCUSON III, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (retired), Vicksburg, Mississippi JACQUELINE MICHEL, Research Planning, Inc., Columbia, South Carolina FRANK E. MULLER-KARGER, University of South Florida, St. Petersburg JOAN OLTMAN-SHAY, NorthWest Research Associates, Inc., Bellevue, Washington ROBERT T. PAINE, University of Washington, Seattle S. GEORGE H. PHILANDER, Princeton University, New Jersey RAYMOND W. SCHMITT, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Massachussets FRED N. SPIESS, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, California DANIEL SUMAN, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Florida v Staff SUSAN ROBERTS, Director DAN WALKER, Scholar CHRISTINE BLACKBURN, Program Officer ANDREAS SOHRE, Financial Associate SHIREL SMITH, Administrative Coordinator JODI BOSTROM, Research Associate NANCY CAPUTO, Research Associate SARAH CAPOTE, Senior Program Assistant PHILLIP LONG, Program Assistant vi Preface The first Europeans to arrive in the Louisiana coastal area found an environment of fertile lands rich in natural resources, including fish, shrimp, and fur-bearing animals. Alterations, including construction of levees and constraining the Mississippi River, rendered this system even more agriculturally productive, suitable for habitation, and efficient for navigation. While much of the habitation developed on natural levees, the lowlands yielded bountiful crops of sugar and other valuable agricul- tural products. Navigation to the nation’s heartland through the vast Mis- sissippi River and its tributaries contributed further to the economic vital- ity of this region. The discovery of petroleum in 1901 provided additional economic stimulus to the region. Today, the harvest of seafood and the unique mix of cultures fuel a significant tourism industry. Ironically, many of the alterations and activities carried out to increase the general productivity and attractiveness of this region and to exploit its natural resources have contributed to the rapid wetland losses that are the subject of this study. Levees have reduced the deposition of nutrient- rich sediments on areas now in agricultural production, and jetties direct the sediments into deep water that once nourished marshes and barrier islands. Canals cut through marshes for petroleum exploration and for access to production facilities have led to continued degradation of the wetlands, and extraction of hydrocarbons is believed to have augmented the natural subsidence rates. Introduction of nutria has resulted in in- creased wetland grazing. Finally, constraining the Mississippi River to not allow its natural switching has resulted in a system that is more desir- able for navigation but one counter to the natural cycle required for main- taining the net wetland area. vii viii PREFACE The State of Louisiana and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have been aware of the high rates of wetland loss for many years; both have been active in efforts to arrest this loss. In addition to scientific investiga- tions to understand the problem, concerted political efforts commenced in the 1960s that culminated in the passage of the Coastal Wetlands Plan- ning, Protection, and Restoration Act and the further development of plans to arrest or reduce high wetland losses. The present study focused on a near-term plan, a 10-year, $1.9 billion, scaled-down version of the more comprehensive plan (30-year, $13 billion). Broadly, the committee’s charge was to assess the economic, engineering, ecological, and social vi- ability of the near-term effort and its value to the nation. This near-term plan is unique in several respects: (1) the vast geographic extent of the coastal Louisiana area (31,080 km2 [12,000 mi2]), (2) the pervasiveness of the processes affecting wetland loss, and (3) the amount of background material that has been developed pertinent to an understanding of the wetland loss problem. The committee and I are indebted to the staff of the Ocean Studies Board for their valuable services and willingness to fill any need ranging from arrangements for the meetings to report editorial services to obtain- ing additional needed background material. They truly made the efforts of the committee members more enjoyable and productive. Dr. Dan Walker served as program manager for the latter half of the study after Dr. Joanne Bintz departed for other employment. Douglas George was a great help during his tenure as a National Research Council intern with the Ocean Studies Board. We are especially appreciative of Ms. Jodi Bostrom who provided day-to-day support to the committee and, through her broad talents and can-do attitude, ensured that the committee activi- ties were responded to promptly and that unforeseen needs at committee meetings were met. Without the editorial efforts of the staff, this report would be redundant and lack overall flow from topic to topic. As a final note, the tragedy wreaked on coastal Louisiana by Hurri- canes Katrina and Rita occurred after this committee had completed their meetings and after development of a final draft report. Certainly, if this sequence had been different, this report would have had a somewhat dif- ferent focus. Subsequent to these hurricanes, the committee revisited the thrust of this report relating to our statement of task and recommenda- tions pertaining to wetlands, and it was determined that these previously developed recommendations still applied. It is the hope of the committee that this report will contribute to an understanding of the overall benefits of coastal wetlands and associated levees and barrier islands (not just storm protection) and the urgency of addressing the rapid land loss in coastal Louisiana. Robert Dean, Committee Chair Acknowledgments This report was greatly enhanced by participants at the four public meetings held as part of this study. The committee would like first to acknowledge the efforts of those who gave presentations at these meet- ings: Jack C. Caldwell; Thomas Campbell; Ellis J. (Buddy) Clairain, Jr.; James Coleman; Troy Constance; James Cowan, Jr.; Mark Davis; John Day, Jr.; Gerry Duszynski; Sherwood Gagliano; Karen Gautreaux; Bill Good; James (Randy) Hanchey; Jimmy Johnston; Richard Kesel; Irv Mendelssohn; King Milling; Robert Morton; Shea Penland; Jon Porthouse; Denise Reed; John Saia; Greg Steyer; Greg Stone; Joseph Suhayda; and Robert Twilley. These talks helped set the stage for fruitful discussions in the closed sessions that followed. The committee is also grateful to a number of people who provided important discussion and/or material for this report: Len Bahr, Windell Curole, Oliver Harmar, Harry Roberts, Robin Rorick, Mark Schleifstein, Kerry St. Pé, Bill Streever, Colin Thorne, and Jeff Williams. This report has been reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with pro- cedures approved by the National Research Council’s Report Review Committee. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making its pub- lished report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confi- dential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process. We wish to thank the following individuals for their review of this report: ix

Description:
During the past 50 years, coastal Louisiana has suffered catastrophic land loss due to both natural and human causes. This loss has increased storm vulnerability and amplified risks to lives, property, and economies--a fact underscored by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Drawing Louisiana's New Map revi
See more

The list of books you might like

Most books are stored in the elastic cloud where traffic is expensive. For this reason, we have a limit on daily download.