wetlands

An aerial view of the Wax Lake Delta on the coast of Louisiana. The delta is one of the few places along Louisiana’s coast that is building land instead of losing it.

‘A living laboratory’: An accidental delta taught Louisiana scientists how to rebuild wetlands

Eva Tesfaye

While the science is clear – wetlands have lots of benefits and we know how to build more of them – the future is not. The growing Wax Lake Delta provided data for the now-stalled Mid-Barataria sediment diversion, which is designed to rebuild wetlands in nine parishes along the Louisiana Gulf Coast.

Wetlands like Wax Lake Delta along Louisiana’s coast store massive amounts of carbon, which can contribute to CO2 emissions when lost.

Coastal Desk

Louisiana’s wetlands store massive amounts of carbon. They also contribute to emissions when lost.

Elise Plunk (Louisiana Illuminator)

Louisiana’s wetlands are one of the planet’s most vital carbon storage centers, but destroying these reservoirs can accelerate harmful emissions that intensify global warming, according to experts.

Many Louisiana wetlands are no longer protected by federal environment regulations.

Coastal Desk

Trump Strips Environmental Protections for Wetlands and Streams

Betsy Shepherd

The Trump administration is rolling back environmental protections for wetlands and streams as outlined by the Water of the United States rule. The...

Sediment pours out of a pipeline as part of Louisiana's Caminada Headland restoration project near Port Fourchon. A new federal bill will require the Corps to consider similar "green" projects when building infrastructure.

Politics

New Bill Requires Army Corps To Consider Green Infrastructure

Travis Lux

On Wednesday, congress passed America's Water Infrastructure Act of 2018 , which could encourage the Army Corps of Engineers to build more green...

Henry Gass and Noelle Swan on the dwindling coast

Jim Engster

Henry Gass and Noelle Swan of the Christian Science Monitor talk about Louisiana's dwindling coast.-

Coastal Desk

Why Do We Measure Wetlands Loss In Football Fields?

Jesse Hardman

What happens when you combine the most popular sport in the U.S. with one of the most dire environmental situations in the country? The catchy analogy...

Coastal Desk

Partnership will Educate and Enable Farmers to Restore Wetlands

One scientist with the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality says the key to improving our watersheds is educating our farmers. A new partnership…

Coastal Desk

Institute Seeks to Bridge Gap Between Research and Engineering to Save Gulf

This week the state legislature unanimously approved the 2012 Louisiana Coastal Master Plan, a 50 year blueprint for restoring disappearing wetlands and…