Time Line:

6,000 Years Ago- A Delta is Built

The Mississippi River drains a third of the nation. Over a period of 6,000 years the Mississippi River formed the Mississippi Delta by annually flooding over its banks and depositing its sediment load.

17th Century- A City is Born!

Bienville chose to build the Port of New Orleans here for France, because it was strategically beneficial to be near the mouth of the Mississippi River. The chosen site was 80 miles from the Gulf and above sea level, at the time, ensuring adequate protection from Hurricanes.

The Great Flood of 1927…let the sinking (subsidence) begin

The greatest disaster to strike the country (before Katrina), The Great Flood of 1927 convinced Congress that we needed to control the Mississippi River. The Mississippi River was leveed, which prevented future flooding for the nation, but it also prevented the river’s sediment load from reaching the Mississippi delta—subsidence began.

1930’s Oil! We’re Rich?

Oil was discovered off Louisiana’s coast. The energy industry moved in and began dredging up sediment to build canals to facilitate oil exploration and transportation. Today there are between 10,000 and  25,000 miles of canals that have been formed from dredging (the exact number is unclear because the State did not initiate permitting practices until the 1960′s). These canals allow for saltwater intrusion and disrupt the natural hydrology of the ecosystem. Experts estimate that even with the subsidence caused by leveeing in the Mississippi River, the wetlands would’ve stayed intact for about another one-thousands years if canals had not been dredged for oil and gas exploration.

1970’s Hey, Where’s My Land?

Coastal Erosion started entering the political and environmental dialogue in Louisiana

Late 1970’s Louisiana to the Rescue?

Louisiana has the first Coastal Impact Assistance Program, not 1 penny goes towards restoration.

1980’s You Can’t Run a Sediment Pipe through my lawn, but IF you do, can I have the new land?

Governor Buddy Roemer creates the Wetlands Trust Fund. There begins a debate over who has the mineral rights to the newly created land.

1989 A Tail of Two Agencies

The state finally commits itself to restoration.

A percentage of state taxes start getting designated for restoration. At this point the state’s efforts are disjointed. The Department of Transportation and Development is in charge of flood control and The Department of Natural Resources is in charge of restoration.

1998 Finally the Political Power we need….err… Ooops Good ole Louisiana Politicians Congressman Bob Livingston is set to replace Newt Gingrich as Speaker of the House. Louisiana’s plight for Coastal Restoration finally looks like it is going to get the national attention needed, then the Livingston and Clinton’s scandals ensue and Livingston steps down.

2003 My Land is Worth 60 Trillion Dollars, Please

Governor Mike Foster sues Chevron for unpaid royalties, and the first $35 million goes into The Wetlands Trust Fund. The Louisiana Constitution is Amended to award fair market value for land the government seizes for coastal restoration projects. Before this Amendment, people could ask the state for a higher value than the worth of their land when the government seized land by claiming Imminent Domain.

August 2005 Hurricane Katrina.  Oh, I get it!… The Wetlands ARE Important

Hurricane Katrina causes levee failure and 70% of New Orleans floods. The public’s awareness for the need for coastal restoration intensifies.

Katrina aftermath… a Blessed Union

The Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority is started, this agency consolidates flood control and restoration into the same governmental agency.

2006 Oh the Legalities!

Senator Landrieu secures a percentage of oil and gas royalties for Louisiana. Oil and Gas companies originally protest, but Governor Blanco threatens to sue the industry for Outer Continental Revenue, which could withhold drilling so the industry complies. The State votes to designate 100% to coastal restoration projects. Before this, because of Louisiana’s legal system, the state was getting no revenue from offshore drilling. Other states, under common law, receive 50% or more in royalties. The Constitution is Amended to give fair market value for land seized for levees and hurricane protection.

Today… Are we Fixed Yet?

Our current rate of wetlands loss is a football field every 38 minutes. Over the past 70 years, this rate of loss has added up to an area the size of Delaware. One-third of Louisiana is now in danger of washing away.

2017…We got a deadline folks!

Experts have given Southeastern Louisiana a timeline. They say, if large-scale restoration projects are not up and running within the decade, it will be late because the land loss will be too expansive and expensive to reverse. This is also the year that we will start getting around 30% of the revenue from offshore drilling. A little late, eh?

Southeast Louisiana’s Future?

By the end of the century sea level rise will be somewhere in the range of 2.5 feet to 6 feet—the average increase for the rest of the country is 1.5 feet. Louisiana has the highest rate of sea-level rise in the country because the land is sinking due to our dying delta. Literally by 2100 a third of the state will have been lost. The only areas protected will be inside of levees. But even life inside of levees will be very precarious. Levees are built of earth and not intended to be standing in water for more than a few hours—the levees in Southeast Louisiana will be standing in water all day, everyday. Levees are not intended to take the full grunt of a hurricane storm surge, but these levees will be the first line of storm defense and thus forced to do so. Because of the inevitable rise in property insurance, living in these areas will become extraordinarily expensive. Taxes will also most likely become very high, since much of the infrastructure will have to be reconstructed to accommodate the frequent flooding.