Southeast LA land loss news

[Smalls]

I agree, SS. Problem is, no way that is going to happen. An area that should have never been settled was settled due to leveeing, and now there is no reversing that trend. Same thing with restoration over here on the west side. We have to work with what is there, and when what is there is not a good foundation, you're fighting a losing battle. We don't have it near as bad as ya'll do on the east side, but its pretty bad everywhere. Hurricanes in the last 10 years have excellerated our land loss rates to all-time highs. We lost more land on the west side between 2004-2010 than in the 10 or 20 years prior due to hurricanes. Even before that though, a CWPPRA study from the early 90's reported that the Sabine/Calcasieu Basin had the 2nd or 3rd highest landloss rate of any coastal region in Louisiana from the 50s to the 70s. The ones ahead of it were, of course, from the southeast.

The biggest issue for the east side is subsidence. Ya'll lose land because there is nothing building land. For the west side, we are losing land because of salt water intrusion. Kills the marsh and nothing can take it's place. Two big issues that have no remedy because they are caused by economic growth. When you have 2 of the largest ports in the country in these 2 systems, there is nothing you can do. If they remove the levees, the Mississippi will no longer exist as we know it. It has been trying to shift it's flow down the Atchafalaya for a while now, and the floods of last year almost accomplished that. If that did occur, one of the largest ports in the country would become obsolete.

By 2050, we will live in a toeless boot if the right things are not done to protect our resources.