Len Bahr Starts Louisiana Coastal Issues Blog
I am happy to see that a new blogger has decided to write regularly about Louisiana coastal issues. An article in the October 14, 2008 edition of the Baton Rouge Advocate newspaper by Amy Wold entitled, Retired official's web site seeks coastal research reports on this new blog. In the article, Wold states that Len Bahr, the former director of the Governor's Applied Coastal Science program, has begun a blog entitled LaCoastPost. It can be found at this link or it can be found at http://www.lacoastpost.com.
Regardless of Len Bahr's retirement, he wants to maintain a voice in the Louisiana coastal restoration arena, and I am glad to have him blogging on the subject. Bahr claims to have noticed an increased level of discussion on the web regarding Louisiana coastal issues. I have also noticed an increase in activity. The number of visitors to this blog has increased almost 500% since July, and the new larger number of visitors seems to continue. Hopefully, we are accomplishing something worthwhile.
I have lifted the following quote from Bahr's introductory entry and copy it here with delight.
"We recognize that the future of Louisiana’s coast is dependent on a new management paradigm for the entire continental Mississippi watershed. For example, dams on the Missouri River have resulted in a huge reduction in suspended sediments in the lower Mississippi River system. If some of these sediments could be released downstream landscape restoration could be accomplished more rapidly. We also recognize that the rate of global sea level rise from climate change will play a huge role and that the Louisiana coast could become a laboratory for effectively dealing with sea level rise worldwide."
I agree wholeheartedly with this statement. If we could get the Corps to recognize that the upper Mississippi River drainage basin is connected to the Mississippi River in Louisiana as the Corps makes management decisions about the Mississippi River system as a whole, we would be accomplishing a great deal. That will be a tough sell, but maybe if more and more of us blog on the subject something will come from our effort.
I invite you to follow Len Bahr's blog along with this blog.
The problem is not just the sediment restriction, but the inclusion of excessive amounts of nitrates, phosphates and effluent throughout the Miss. watershed. This and other factors are causing the growth of the hypoxic zone. The slow death of the finfish, oyster, shrimp and rest of the once boutiful seafood industry in the Gulf is another issue that needs to be addressed. The Corps is not the agency to deal with this issue, in my humble opinion, Congress (because it is a multi-State issue) needs to enact laws restricting dumping and farm runoff restrictions with TEETH (ie. monetary penalties). The FSA could monitor the farm runoff from the historic corn crop acreage and work with the EPA and other agencies in finding and fining those farms, cities, and corporations not in compliance. I have no reason to hope that this will happen because of the lobbyists and the inaction of Congress. But it is possible if enough of this grass-roots effort takes place. I applaud Len Bahr, Erich Rapp and others that are allowing for us common folk for having a voice.
Sean Gayle
I am most interested in this discussion as my family has been involved in the Atchafalaya Basin for generations. What is currently being done to halt the spread of salvina molesta in the swamp.
V.Williams