Local Politics
Louisiana Abandons Large-Scale Sediment Diversion Projects for Delta
The administration of Governor Jeff Landry has abandoned plans for large-scale sediment diversion projects that had been central to Louisiana's coastal restoration program, siding with commercial fishermen who feared river water would damage marine life and fisheries. The Mississippi River Delta, spanning roughly 2.7 million acres in South Louisiana, has lost approximately 2,000 square miles of wetlands since 1932 due to subsidence, sea-level rise, oil field canals, and the post-1927 levee system. A University of California study found South Louisiana is sinking faster than any other river delta on Earth, reducing natural hurricane storm-surge buffers for coastal communities. Louisiana had previously restored or nurtured 55,000 acres and more than 70 miles of barrier islands through its coastal program. Coastal activists in Plaquemines Parish remain hopeful the state can overcome divisions over restoration strategy.