The official plan of the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation is based on the idea of 11 lines of defense.
It makes sense and should be the basis for any construction. Recognizing the role of the wetlands and the requirement that we stop destroying them with flood protection levees is the heart of the argument. The levees we build must be higher and stronger and more strategically placed. We should also build fewer levees and include more freshwater diversions to strengthen the wetlands.
Not comfortable with the official studies and the rush toward building the Great Wall of Louisiana, The LPBF commissioned its own study and released a major draft in October 2007 and version 1 of the report in 2008.
The restoration proposals are an eclectic set of restoration techniques including diversions, marsh creation, shoreline protection, barrier islands restoration, and oyster reef restoration.
The language of the report is scientific and could be difficult to read, but the message is clear.
- Levees alone will not protect the city.
- Diversion of nutrient laden Mississippi River water into the marsh is essential.
The current direction of the state and federal officials, especially the Corps needs to be modified to achieve these successes.