[StBernard] The Wild Side

Westley Annis westley at da-parish.com
Tue Jan 18 10:18:30 EST 2011


There's a meeting scheduled Thursday night in Chalmette the outcome of which
could go a long way in restoring our coast.

Officially it's the "Mississippi River Gulf Outlet Ecosystem Restoration
Public Meeting." It's 6 p.m.-9 p.m. at the C.F. Rowley Alternative School at
49 Madison Ave. in Chalmette.

The MRGO website's subject is the "Scoping Meeting for Corps of Engineers
Draft Restoration Plan."

Boiling the information down is a pain, but here's a try: Congress mandated
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers develop projects to repair the damage the
Mississippi River Gulf Outlet - MRGO or "Mr. Go" - wrought in its more than
40 years passing from New Orleans (from the Industrial Canal) through St.
Bernard Parish to the Gulf of Mexico.

There's no question there has been damage to our state's marshes east of the
Mississippi River. It's comparable to the problems from saltwater intrusion
brought by the digging of the Intracoastal Waterway.

Yes, there was a trade-off in the protection of the Intracoastal Waterway
afforded our military effort during World War II and there has been economic
benefit from ICWW in the decades since.

But there's no doubt Louisiana's marshes would be in a lot better shape had
these canals never been dug.

These days our battles are to keep our marshes alive - some are beyond hope
of being fully restored - and to find a way to halt continued degradation of
our coastline.

Thursday night's meeting likely will outline the corps' plans, one of which
is to dig another canal across St. Bernard. The other is to use the existing
Violet Canal. Both are designed to carry Mississippi River water to
disappearing marshes. Secondary benefits will be to restore a part of St.
Bernard Parish to a freshwater ecosystem, which it was before the MRGO
project was completed in the early 1960s, and to lay a base for future
marsh-building projects.

The Violet Canal plan appears to be the better choice. First, it's there.
Second, the state will not have to take and pay for land in St. Bernard,
then have the Corps dig another canal in our state's coastal area.

All the posturing in St. Bernard Parish about "parish pride" and not wanting
a new canal pales in comparison to an examination of what happens every time
the corps brings earth-moving equipment into our state.

Next, we have to consider that moving Mississippi River water into the
marshes mimics the way Mother Nature used thousands of springtimes to build
the delta. With river levees built to contain flood waters and the passes
jettied to move silt beyond the nearshore areas, our marshes have been
deprived of valuable river water - and silt and clay - for more than 80
years.

The Violet Canal Plan is something that needs our support - from all of us.

If you want to know more about it, call Lee Mueller (504) 862-1759.





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