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."
FULL STORY: Dams Are Thwarting Louisiana Marsh Restoration, Study Says

Amtrak Ramping Up Infrastructure Projects
Thanks to federal funding from the 2021 infrastructure act, the agency plans to triple its investment in infrastructure improvements and new routes in the next two years.

Ending Downtown San Francisco’s ‘Doom Loop’
A new public space project offers an ambitious vision—so why is the city implementing it at such a small scale?

Proposal Would Transform L.A.’s ‘Freeway to Nowhere’ Into Park, Housing
A never-completed freeway segment could see new life as a mixed-use development with housing, commercial space, and one of the county’s largest parks.

Opinion: Fare Evasion Punished Disproportionately in California
A bill currently on Governor Newsom’s desk would replace punitive measures with more equitable and compassionate approaches to fare enforcement.

Seattle Passes Downtown Zoning Reforms
The changes, part of the mayor’s Downtown Activation Plan, make way for more residential development in the city’s downtown core.

Report: U.S. Biking Boom Slows
The pandemic bike boom is petering out, but more Americans are biking than ever before, signaling a need for cities to keep improving bike infrastructure and make roads safer for cyclists.
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Washington University
Mpact: Mobility, Community, Possibility
Lassen County Planning and Building Services
City of San Carlos
National Capital Planning Commission
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.