De-Authorization of Mississippi River Gulf Outlet
One cause of coastal land loss in Louisiana is saltwater intrusion into the coastal wetlands. One cause of saltwater intrusion into the coastal wetlands are north-south navigation channels connecting the Gulf of Mexico with inland locations. The construction and subsequent dredging of these open water channels allow saltwater to move inland further than existing wetlands would otherwise permit.
The Mississippi River Gulf Outlet also known as MRGO is one such navigation channel. Along the course of this channel since it was built in the late 1950's, larger and larger bodies of open water at and near the main channel have developed.
After hurricane Katrina, MRGO was referred to as the hurricane highway and blamed for storm surge reaching into St. Bernard and Orleans Parish along the course of MRGO. This resulted in a lawsuit against the Corps of Engineers for resulting flood damage that is still pending in federal court as of this writing.
After the hurricane, the Corps of Engineers began receiving increasing political pressure to close MRGO. This has result in a study and recommendations from the Corps concerning the closure of MRGO. These reports and studies are available on line at the Corps website for the New Orleans district.
Erich.
