Marsh loss in the Gulf region is being exacerbated beyond repair by dams along the Mississippi River, according to a recent study.
The report from Louisiana State University says the dams upstream trap too much sediment, preventing restoration of the marshlands near where the river meets the Gulf of Mexico. Combined with climate change, recuperation of these rapidly depleting marshes is not likely, according to the report.
"The loss of thousands of additional square miles of marshland is 'inevitable,' the scientists report in Monday's issue of Nature Geoscience.
The finding does not suggest it would be pointless to divert the muddy water into the marshes, one of the researchers, Harry H. Roberts, said in an interview. 'Any meaningful restoration of our coast has to involve river sediment,' said Dr. Roberts, a coastal scientist.
But he said officials would have to choose which parts of the landscape could be saved and which must be abandoned, and to acknowledge that lives and businesses would be disrupted."
Read the full story: Dams Are Thwarting Louisiana Marsh Restoration, Study Says
Thousands of Miles of Mississippi Delta Lost to Sea Level Rise by 2100
By 2100, vast stretches of the Mississippi Delta will be lost to sea level rise, according to a recent study. More than 5,000 square miles could be lost, including much of New Orleans, researchers say.
Instead of water, sediment from droughts and wildfire is choking U.S. dams
Sediment has filled 8% of dam storage capacity in the United States. Because of climate change, researchers expect it will only accumulate quicker.
Study: New Orleans sea level rise is at 'point of no return'
Research shows that the city could be surrounded by water by the end of this century.
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Chicago breaks ground on $3 billion megadevelopment
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This MA town is drowning in its own sewage — and residents like it that way
Susan Murcott, a waste water expert, said if Carlisle didn't address their leaking sewage, the problem could turn “deadly.”
Iowa taxpayers are paying thousands to clean manure out of their water
While the Clean Water Act makes states responsible for regulating factory farms that discharge pollutants, Iowa has turned a blind eye to the polluting farms.
Amtrak cuts ribbon on Seattle Airo maintenance facility
The $250 million, nearly 100,000-square-foot building can house an entire Cascades Airo trainset.
To power data centers, Google seeks autonomous control of thousands of homes’ electricity
The tech company has signed a deal to indirectly pay Mid-Atlantic residents to reduce their power demand when the grid is strained.
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City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello