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Started By
Message
Our disappearing wetlands
Posted on 12/13/12 at 12:08 pm
Posted on 12/13/12 at 12:08 pm
I am curious to hear what yall have to say on this issue.
I have heard many different reasons why it is disappearing. I'd like to hear what yall say. Yes, I know the easy answer is because of the levees and lack of replenishing sediment.
But how culpable - if at all - is oil and gas exploration? I mean our marshes are cut all to hell. There are paths leading in ever direction for no rhyme or reason other than that is where it was dredged. This give a free path for the Gulf to just flow in and erode the marsh.
How about the lack of barrier islands? Other states have politicians in DC that fight like hell to get their states money to sustain, replenish and create barrier islands. Not so much for Louisiana.
Is it just mother nature being mother nature and saying south Louisiana is going to be ocean floor again? Can we stop her if even if we wanted too? Seems like other states have at least been able to hold her back.
Obviously this is a multi-issue problem. I figured I would ask yall your theories so I can get a real world explanation for fellow outdoors men.
I have heard many different reasons why it is disappearing. I'd like to hear what yall say. Yes, I know the easy answer is because of the levees and lack of replenishing sediment.
But how culpable - if at all - is oil and gas exploration? I mean our marshes are cut all to hell. There are paths leading in ever direction for no rhyme or reason other than that is where it was dredged. This give a free path for the Gulf to just flow in and erode the marsh.
How about the lack of barrier islands? Other states have politicians in DC that fight like hell to get their states money to sustain, replenish and create barrier islands. Not so much for Louisiana.
Is it just mother nature being mother nature and saying south Louisiana is going to be ocean floor again? Can we stop her if even if we wanted too? Seems like other states have at least been able to hold her back.
Obviously this is a multi-issue problem. I figured I would ask yall your theories so I can get a real world explanation for fellow outdoors men.
This post was edited on 12/13/12 at 3:15 pm
Posted on 12/13/12 at 12:20 pm to Vol Fan in the Bayou
To state the obvious....
Coastal erosion.
Coastal erosion.
quote:
Louisiana Coastal Erosion: Facts and Figures LA contains approximately 40% of the nation's wetlands and experiences 90% of the coastal wetland loss in the lower 48 states.
60% of Louisiana’s land loss occurs in the Barataria and Terrebonne basins LA is losing 25 to 35 square miles of wetlands per year and the highest rates are occurring in the Barataria and Terrebonne basins at 10 and 11 square miles per year.
At current land loss rates, nearly 640,000 more acres, an area nearly the size of Rhode Island, will be under water by 2050. LA’s coast is a “working coast,” supporting critical infrastructure such as highways, ports, pipelines and navigational waterways of national economic significance. Without coastal restoration, people and businesses that power the nation will be forced to retreat from coastal Louisiana, resulting in severe economic consequences to the nation. Infrastructure along coastal LA is estimated at $150 billion.
LA’s coast has world ecological significance with an abundance of fisheries, wildlife and waterfowl, and also serves as a critical migratory flyway.LA's wetland loss could cost the nation $36.6 billion from lost public use value over the next 50 years.
18% of U.S. Oil Production; 24% of US natural gas production originates, is transported through, or is processed in LA coastal wetlands. - One fourth of our nation's energy supply depends on the support facilities in South Louisiana. - LA's oil and natural gas industries have a value exceeding $16 billion a year.
Over 20,000 miles of pipelines are located in federal offshore lands and thousands more inland. - Wetlands protect pipelines from waves and insure that the lines stay buried in place. - When pipelines are exposed to more waves and storms, it becomes more likely that they will pose a threat to passing water traffic.
With 500 million tons of waterborne cargo passing through Louisiana's system of deep-draft ports and navigational channels, Louisiana ranks first in the nation in total shipping tonnage. - If present land loss rates continue, more than 155 miles of waterways and several of the ports will be exposed to open water within 50 years.
LA's commercial fisheries are the most bountiful of the lower 48 states, providing 25 - 35% of the nation's total catch. LA is first in the annual harvest of oysters, shrimp, crabs crawfish, red snapper, wild catfish, sea trout and mullet. - By 2050, the annual loss of commercial fisheries will be nearly $550 million. For recreational fisheries, the total loss will be close to $200 million a year. Wetlands and barrier islands provide a protection barrier from strong winds and hurricanes: every 2.7 miles of wetlands absorbs one foot of storm surge.
Data from past hurricanes indicates that the loss of every one-mile strip of wetlands along the coast, results in an estimated $5,752,816 average annual increase in property damage. Between 60 and 70% of LA's population lives within 50 miles of the coast.
Without adequate coastal restoration and protection, 2 million people are left vulnerable to life-threatening storms and hurricanes.
This post was edited on 12/13/12 at 12:43 pm
Posted on 12/13/12 at 12:25 pm to Vol Fan in the Bayou
quote:
Other states have politicians in DC that fight like hell to get their states money to sustain, replenish and create barrier islands. Not so much for Louisiana
actually we do, we just have a really fricked up coast line so the big money they do spend is hardly noticeable. My mom works for the state coastal restoration project
And yes, lots is to blame with all the retarded canals from the oil companies
Posted on 12/13/12 at 12:25 pm to Vol Fan in the Bayou
Subsidence is a major player also.
Posted on 12/13/12 at 12:35 pm to Vol Fan in the Bayou
quote:
Is it just mother nature being mother nature and saying south Louisiana is going to be ocean floor again? Can we stop her if even if we wanted too? Seems like other states have at least been able to hold her back.
We could, easily. Shipping would just be fricked all to hell and a lot of people would be displaced. Remove the levee systems and control structures and let it do what it wants to do. That'll never happen though, obviously.
We need diversions. And we need a feasible way to divert sediment. Lots of it.
I had a conversation about this last night. Until the actually start to divert river water and silt to where it naturally wants to go? They can throw all the money they want at it and it'll go nowhere.
Posted on 12/13/12 at 12:41 pm to HeadBusta4LSU
quote:
And yes, lots is to blame with all the retarded canals from the oil companies
Definitely
Posted on 12/13/12 at 12:44 pm to Vol Fan in the Bayou
quote:
We could, easily. Shipping would just be fricked all to hell and a lot of people would be displaced. Remove the levee systems and control structures and let it do what it wants to do. That'll never happen though, obviously.
This. The delta used to switch and go as far east as Gulfport and as far west as Galveston to naturally replinish the coast.
quote:
And yes, lots is to blame with all the retarded canals from the oil companies
This too.
quote:
Is it just mother nature being mother nature and saying south Louisiana is going to be ocean floor again? Can we stop her if even if we wanted too?
We can't stop her but we can do a hellava lot more to mitigate the erosion and even rebuild damaged areas given the right resources - $$$ and comittment instead of happy feel good legislation and lip service.
Posted on 12/13/12 at 12:58 pm to Vol Fan in the Bayou
Geology is a heartless bitch. But she does provide opportunities for politicians and their cronies to make excellent livings in doomed pursuit of hopeless goals.
Posted on 12/13/12 at 1:01 pm to Vol Fan in the Bayou
Posted on 12/13/12 at 1:04 pm to hawkster
quote:
Geology is a heartless bitch. But she does provide opportunities for politicians and their cronies to make excellent livings in doomed pursuit of hopeless goals.
No doubt
Posted on 12/13/12 at 1:05 pm to Vol Fan in the Bayou
You have a pretty good grip on the situation.
Number one reason is the course of the MS and it not replenishing sediment.
#2: subsidence. All of the alluvial soil deposited by the rivers over the past 1000s of years is being compacted on itself and the land is actually sinking.
#3: Erosion. Pipeline canals dug by oil companies have contributed to this greatly.
#4: Barrier Islands: are disappearing at an alarming rate due to erosion. I believe they would do so naturally, but there is no natural system to replenish the ones we have or to create new ones.
Number one reason is the course of the MS and it not replenishing sediment.
#2: subsidence. All of the alluvial soil deposited by the rivers over the past 1000s of years is being compacted on itself and the land is actually sinking.
#3: Erosion. Pipeline canals dug by oil companies have contributed to this greatly.
#4: Barrier Islands: are disappearing at an alarming rate due to erosion. I believe they would do so naturally, but there is no natural system to replenish the ones we have or to create new ones.
Posted on 12/13/12 at 1:10 pm to Vol Fan in the Bayou
First step should be to close up all the passes. Put rocks on all the passes to effectively make them narrower.
If not there is simply too much saltwater coming in for freshwater diversions to be effective.
If not there is simply too much saltwater coming in for freshwater diversions to be effective.
Posted on 12/13/12 at 1:26 pm to hawkster
quote:
Geology is a heartless bitch. But she does provide opportunities for politicians and their cronies to make excellent livings in doomed pursuit of hopeless goals.
Well put
Posted on 12/13/12 at 1:28 pm to SaDaTayMoses
wow, in the third video the guy from NOAA said grand isle is measuring the highest sea level rise rates in the world
Posted on 12/13/12 at 1:45 pm to Vol Fan in the Bayou
...bookmarked. don't even worry about it. we're all going to die on 12/20. i'll join in later
Posted on 12/13/12 at 1:49 pm to nhassl1
quote:
we're all going to die on 12/20
I thought it was 12/21?
Posted on 12/13/12 at 1:51 pm to deaconjones35
depends on what time zone your in
Posted on 12/13/12 at 1:52 pm to Vol Fan in the Bayou
Anytime you frick with nature, eventually it will bite you in the arse. This is a long drawn out example. Even our attempts to mitigate ongoing erosion will have a resulting negative result some time in the future.
Posted on 12/13/12 at 2:01 pm to nhassl1
quote:
nhassl1
I was waiting for you to chime in
Posted on 12/13/12 at 2:09 pm to LSUengr
quote:
Subsidence is a major player also.
OK. So I had no earthly idea what Subsidence means so I looked it up on Wikipedia. It appears to mean that the ground is settling.
What causes this? Natural shifting of the earth? Caverns left from drilling oil and gas? If so, I am sure salt mines don't help either.
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