Louisiana Coastal Master Plan
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| Louisiana Coastal Master Plan | |
|---|---|
| Name | Louisiana Coastal Master Plan |
| Location | Louisiana |
| Established | 2007 |
| Governing body | Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority of Louisiana |
Louisiana Coastal Master Plan
The Louisiana Coastal Master Plan is a decadal coastal restoration and protection roadmap produced by the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority of Louisiana to address land loss in Louisiana and resilience for communities such as New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafourche Parish, Terrebonne Parish, and St. Bernard Parish. It integrates engineering approaches from Army Corps of Engineers projects, environmental science from institutions like Louisiana State University, Tulane University, and University of New Orleans, and policy frameworks involving the United States Department of the Interior, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Environmental Protection Agency, and stakeholders including Tribal governments, Port of New Orleans, and energy companies such as Shell plc and Chevron Corporation.
Background and Purpose
The plan responds to decades of coastal land loss driven by factors linked to Mississippi River Delta dynamics, including altered sediment regimes from the Old River Control Structure, subsidence noted in studies by US Geological Survey, relative sea level rise observed in NOAA tide gauges, and storm impacts exemplified by Hurricane Katrina (2005), Hurricane Rita (2005), and Hurricane Ida (2021). Its purpose aligns with mandates from the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Act and federal statutes including the Coastal Zone Management Act and coordination with programs like the National Flood Insurance Program and FEMA mitigation initiatives to reduce flood risk to infrastructure such as the New Orleans Lakefront Airport and the Industrial Canal Lock.
Development and Planning Process
Development involved technical teams from Moffatt & Nichol, Jacobs Engineering Group, McKinsey & Company advisors, and academic partners including Southeastern Louisiana University. Public engagement events consulted municipalities like Houma and Thibodaux, environmental NGOs such as The Nature Conservancy, Audubon Society, and Sierra Club, and fishing industry representatives from National Marine Fisheries Service meetings. Modeling used hydrodynamic tools from US Army Corps of Engineers New Orleans District, sediment transport models referenced in American Society of Civil Engineers guidance, and climate scenarios consistent with Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change assessments. The plan cycles reflected input from legislative bodies including the Louisiana Legislature and reviews by the Governor of Louisiana's office.
Key Components and Strategies
Key strategies include sediment diversions inspired by historic Atchafalaya River processes, marsh creation via dredged material used by Port Fourchon projects, barrier island restoration exemplified by Breton Island efforts, hydrologic restoration in Barataria Basin, ridge restoration near Bayou Lafourche, shoreline protection with rock and vegetative measures similar to Chandeleur Islands work, and nonstructural measures like voluntary property acquisition paralleling Ike Dike discussions. The plan balances ecosystem restoration with protection of critical infrastructure including the I-10 Twin Span Bridge, Louisiana Offshore Oil Port, and ports like Port of South Louisiana by integrating nature-based solutions promoted by World Resources Institute and engineered solutions influenced by Dutch Delta Works precedents.
Implementation and Projects
Implementation has produced named projects such as the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion, Caernarvon Freshwater Diversion, West Bay Sediment Diversion, and marsh creation at Tiger Pass. Construction contractors have included Turner Construction Company partners and marine dredging firms operating in coordination with US Coast Guard liaisons. Monitoring programs draw on datasets from LUMCON (Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium), NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, and NASA satellite imagery. Projects interface with economic nodes like Louisiana Offshore Oil Port supply chains and support industries including commercial fisheries registered with NOAA Fisheries and ports such as Port of New Orleans and Port Fourchon.
Funding and Governance
Funding combines state appropriations authorized by the Louisiana Legislature, revenues from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill (2010) settlement administered through the Gulf Coast Claims Facility processes and the Natural Resource Damage Assessment settlements, federal grants from Department of Housing and Urban Development Community Development Block Grant programs, BP settlement funds coordinated with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and local funding instruments used by parishes such as Jefferson Parish. Governance is overseen by the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority of Louisiana with advisory input from federal partners including the US Army Corps of Engineers, NOAA, and the Environmental Protection Agency and stakeholder boards involving fishing unions, port authorities, and tribal councils.
Impacts and Outcomes
Outcomes reported include acres of wetland preserved or restored in basins like Terrebonne Basin and Barataria Basin, increased habitat for species listed under the Endangered Species Act such as the Louisiana black bear, and altered flood risk metrics for urban areas including New Orleans neighborhoods. Economic assessments by Bureau of Labor Statistics-referenced studies and analyses from World Bank-style benefit-cost frameworks show job creation in construction and restoration trades and reduced expected annual damages to infrastructure like US Route 90 corridors. Monitoring by US Geological Survey and NOAA documents changes in shoreline position and marsh elevation relative to sea level rise trends reported in Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reports.
Criticisms and Controversies
Critiques derive from environmental groups such as Sierra Club and Audubon Society over potential impacts of large sediment diversions on fisheries and estuarine salinity affecting communities including Grand Isle and indigenous claimants like United Houma Nation. Legal challenges have invoked state law frameworks and consultations involving National Environmental Policy Act compliance and Endangered Species Act reviews, with litigation occasionally filed in United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. Critics also raise concerns about funding reliance on settlements from Deepwater Horizon oil spill (2010) and trade-offs between navigation interests represented by Port of New Orleans and ecological restoration advocated by The Nature Conservancy and academic researchers from Tulane University School of Law.