ROR January 2018 Update

The latest coastal news, events and more from the Barataria and Terrebonne Basins...

January 2018

Comments Sought for Recreational Use, Barataria Basin and CPRA Annual Plan

All three plans include projects for the Barataria and Terrebonne Basins, and deadlines to submit comments are fast approaching.

Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group

The Louisiana TIG has released two draft plans to address recreational use loss and ecosystem injuries in Louisiana and Gulf of Mexico caused by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Public comment for each is requested at this time.

Those draft plans released are:

The Draft Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment #2: Provide and Enhance Recreational Opportunities (Draft Recreational Use Plan) which describes and proposes implementation of restoration projects intended to restore for lost recreational use opportunities. Also note:
- The Draft Recreational Use Plan's public comment period ending, originally
  
  January 19, has been reopened until February 2, 2018.
- Included in this plan are proposed projects for Terrebonne and Lafourche Parishes, highlighted in this article from Houma Today.
The Draft Strategic Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment #3: Restoration of Wetlands, Coastal, and Nearshore Habitats in the Barataria Basin, Louisiana (Draft Barataria Strategic Plan) which considers a suite of restoration approaches and techniques to address ecosystem-level injuries in the Gulf of Mexico. Also note:
- The Draft Barataria Strategic Plan has a 45-day public comment period, ending February 5, 2018.
- Included in this plan are diversions of Mississippi River water and sediment into adjacent wetlands, a high probability of providing large-scale benefits for the long-term sustainability of deltaic wetlands and the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem.

Annual Plan

Deadline to submit comments of the FY19 Annual Plan by Louisiana's Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority is also drawing near. The Annual Plan is a three-year outlook of projected revenues, expenditures, and project schedules. This year's plan includes $562 million in projects, with 86% going to planning, design and engineering, and operations and maintenance, which grows to 90% in the following two years.

Comments are due February 12 to CPRA. The draft plan will then go to the CPRA board for approval, then move to the Louisiana Legislature.

Center for River Studies, a coastal showpiece, officially opens

The Center for River Studies, a partnership between the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority and Louisiana State University, houses a physical model of the lower Mississippi River.

Photo: LSU

Coastal restoration in Louisiana continues to acquire phenomenal resources that are invaluable to the continued progression of #OurCoast !

The LSU Center for River Studies is a state of the art tool that will use exhibits and their incredible physical model feature to further the research, education/outreach, and creative vision for solutions in coastal Louisiana.

The river model housed there is 10,000 square feet and based on the topography and bathymetry of the Mississippi River Delta covering southeast Louisiana. Pumps are used to control the water and sediment injection. More than 18 acoustic sensors coincide with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers river gages on the Mississippi River and measure water levels in the model river. Twenty high-definition projectors illuminate the model and bring the river and coast to life.

The model is able to replicate the flow, water levels and sediment (sand) transport of the river, where one year of the Mississippi River is simulated in one hour. Scientists, engineers and students can see, experience and conduct research using this state-of-the-art model.

The Center also features museum-quality displays and educational materials. ROR's Executive Director Simone Maloz is featured in one of the videos aimed at teaching students about coastal careers.

Visit the CRS webpage and view a great video here!