We used to say that Louisiana can save its coast by primarily doing two things – – restoring the barrier islands and diverting fresh water and sediment from the Mississippi River into the wetlands. That was in the sixties and seventies when the state first started getting aggressive in the project.
Here we are several decades later and a whole lot hasn’t happened. Sure, we have the Davis and Caernarveron Diversions and a few spot enhancements to the islands that protect our shore. But much too little.
When the oil spill threatened the Gulf States this year, Louisiana officials were adamant in wanting permits to pump sand berms along those broken up offshore islands to stop the oil from going inland. But the feds threw all sorts of objections in the way claiming it could cause environmental problems by impeding the free flow of water in the Gulf and wetlands. In the short run, it was logical to build the berms to stop the oil. And in the long run, it could be the forerunner of re-building those barrier slands that can save the coast that provides one of the greatest fisheries in the world.
Those berms the state wants could be constructed to rebuild our barrier islands permanently, with a little repair now and then.
Now the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers has asked Louisiana to provide new environmental justifications for building about 25 miles of six-foot high sand and sediment berms approved after the oill spill. That was a pittance of the 101 miles of berms wanted by the state.
Providing barrier islands to protect fragile and productive coastlines is the way Mother Nature does things. Is there anything unenvironmental about that?
Most of the barrier islands that once protected the Louisiana coast are gone or broken up into small fragments because of the impact of hurricane surges and regular high tides. As a result, the Gulf has gotten into our wetlands and broken it up to the point where it is open water in many areas and no protectiion at all.
Louisiana officials want to use the berms as part of a restoration of our barrier islands which the feds have always resisted. Now the state needs to take things into its own hands and turn what berm projects it can get approved into barrier island restoration.
And we need to do it fast.
The Saints win regardless
The New Orleans Saints may be the NFC and Superbowl Champion but they don’t act like it this new season. And yet they still win.
Monday night’s game against San Francisco was exciting because we didn’t know who was winning until the game was over. And when the Forty Niner patted Garrett Hartley’s winning field goal at the end, it was easy to feel the pain . . . until the ball defied gravity and went straight through the uprights for a victory. Their success in winning by three points came from turnovers, not overall power. And that was also the case in the first game against the Minnesota Vikings.
But that is a legitimate way of winning. And if they can keep doing it, they will be a championship team again.
Football is not just a game of running and passing for yards and stopping the opponent from doing the same. It is a game of scoring the points when they count.
And the Saints seem to know how to do it.
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