Denise Reed Pontchartrain Institute University of New Orleans

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1 Denise Reed Pontchartrain Institute University of New Orleans

2 Potential loss of an additional 1,750 square miles of land over the next 50 years

3 1993 CWPPRA Restoration Plan The Restoration Plan presented here calls for significant changes in existing management of the lower Mississippi and Atchafalaya rivers to greatly increase sediment and freshwater input into coastal estuaries and restart the natural processes of land building and maintenance. Specifically, the plan includes such concepts as: (1) a phased abandonment of the existing "bird's foot delta in favor of a new delta in the shallow waters of an adjacent estuary, possibly Breton Sound, (2) multiple diversions into the Barataria Basin, (3) reactivation of old distributary channels, and (4) seasonal increases in flow down the Atchafalaya River.

4 Prevent loss of sediments into the deep Gulf

5 Coast 2050

6 ..large-scale concepts that could provide significant long-term ecosystem restoration benefits

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8 Continuing Current Management

9 Achieving Sustainability

10 More river = more land

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12 2012 Coastal Master Plan Objectives Flood Protection Reduce economic losses from storm-based flooding Natural Processes Coastal Habitats Cultural Heritage Working Coast Promote a sustainable coastal ecosystem by harnessing the processes of the natural system Provide habitats suitable to support an array of commercial and recreational activities coast wide Sustain Louisiana s unique heritage and culture Provide a viable working coast to support industry It s not just about restoration

13 Expanding the Conversation Toward a Collective Vision Agencies Experts Concerned Stakeholders Denise Reed Pontchartrain Institute University of New Orleans Environmental Groups River Users Industries

14 Visioning the Future of the Lower Mississippi River January 9-10 th, 2013 Westin Hotel, New Orleans with support from the Greater New Orleans Foundation

15 Steering Committee Eddie Belk, U.S. Army Corps of Engineer Sidney Coffee, America s WETLAND Foundation Sean Duffy, Big Rivers Coalition Gerry Galloway, University of Maryland Karen Gautreaux, The Nature Conservancy Steve Mathies, Cardno Bob Meade, Retired USGS Scientist King Milling, Governor s Commission Spencer Murphy, Canal Barge Company Denise Reed, The Water Institute of the Gulf Michael Reuter, The Great Rivers Partnership/The Nature Conservancy Kirk Rhinehart, Coastal Restoration and Protection Authority

16 Visioning Approach Recognition that focused, in-person discussion would be important to moving critical issues forward Acquisition of resources from the Greater New Orleans Foundation to support Summit Engagement of Meridian Institute for facilitation and organizational support Identification by Steering Committee of key stakeholders for Summit participation Development of agenda by organizers and Steering Committee

17 Engaged Conversation Participants included key thought leaders from business, industry, government, academia and the nonprofit sectors with interest in the Lower Mississippi River. Agenda designed to result in vision for overall effort and identifying priority issues and near and longer-term actions Organized as a combination of plenaries, tabletop and group discussions to generate Summit outcomes

18 A Focus on the Future What are the key changes that are going to influence the Lower Mississippi? Given those changes and current management, what do you see as likely activities for the Lower Mississippi in 2050 (for navigation, flood management, environmental restoration)? How do these elements interact with one another? Is there synergy or conflict, if/how can elements be meshed to avoid compromising important river-related activities?

19 Summit Conclusions - Problem The river is important for its global competitiveness, worldclass ecosystem, and cultural heritage. Maintaining the system under current funding constraints and management approaches presents a challenge. Opportunities to retain global competiveness are in jeopardy, risks associated with safety and flood control are looming, and loss of natural processes (e.g., sediment and water) to support the deltaic ecosystem is ongoing. A clear multi-purpose vision for the Lower Mississippi River is needed to create a holistic river management plan to address the serious issues that lie ahead.

20 The Vision The vision for the future Lower Mississippi River is of a sustainable and resilient system for the next 100 years and beyond. A system that balances the needs for reliable, safe, and predictable commerce, low levels of flood risk, a productive river and coastal ecosystem, and a rich cultural heritage. Underlying this vision is the acknowledgement that the Mississippi River delta will be dramatically different in the foreseeable future because of land loss and sea-level rise. Making this vision a reality necessitates collaboration amongst constituents and stakeholders to develop a holistic Lower Mississippi River management plan

21 Achieving the Vision Supports Globally Competitive Navigation by Ensuring reliable, consistent, and safe travel ability; Maintaining or increasing channel dimensions to ensure global competitiveness; Reducing operations and maintenance costs;

22 Achieving the Vision Supports Healthy Ecosystems Sustain healthy fin and shell fisheries Maintain diverse native plant and animal communities Reduce Gulf hypoxia Employ green infrastructure wherever possible to achieve other outcomes (e.g., use floodplain connectivity and coastal wetlands as part of an overall program for flood risk reduction)

23 Achieving the Vision Supports Vibrant Regional Social Fabric by Supporting the regions rich cultural diversity Maintaining diverse outdoor recreation opportunities Enabling broad community engagement in all decisions (empowerment of stakeholders)

24 Achieving the Vision Supports Reliable Flood Risk Management and Water Supply by Managing storm surges using spillways that allow water to move across the landscape preventing excessive flooding adjacent to structures like levees. Maintaining groundwater at levels that reduce subsidence Managing surface water to provide for supplies sufficient for users (humans and natural systems).

25 Candidate Actions Access Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund to assist with ongoing channel maintenance & incorporate beneficial use of dredged materials in expenditures from Trust Fund; Flood management focused on essential facilities and communities & use of upstream distributaries for flood management and restoration; Ensure navigation channel dimensions (width and depth) allow for unimpeded travel and access to major components of the established port infrastructure; Consider role of new coastal port facilities Use water and sediment for restoration based on configuration of navigation channel;

26 Near-term Approaches Use momentum of public s engagement in floods and droughts; Make the public aware that this is not LA s problem, this is everyone s problem; Include inland waterways in the national transportation discussion; initiate discussions on revitalizing, rethinking national intermodal transportation system. Convene Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund workgroup Convene Vision Guidance Team to identify path forward Vision Guidance Team to identify path forward

27 Denise Reed Pontchartrain Institute University of New Orleans