The More the Merrier?

To divert or not divert, that is the question. At least it is the question at the heart of the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion project that is the keystone of the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Agency’s Master Plan. Long talked about and planned for, the project would reintroduce (the real diversion actually happened years ago when the Mississippi River was leveed off from its coastal delta and estuaries) the Mississippi River to the swamps, marshes, and waters of the vast but disappearing Barataria estuary in Southeastern Louisiana. Of course, that estuary is not remotely what it once was and, heaven knows, the River is not the same kind of river that it once was. Indeed, there are concerns that so much has changed that the federal permits for the project are being challenged by some environmental and fishing groups on the grounds that permits and process followed to issue them don’t adequately consider the harms the project could produce. Stopping the project would not stop the degradation of the coast since the process of sea level rise, wetland loss and fisheries displacement would continue, though without the benefits the project touts. One might presume the Federal government would robustly make those arguments and others, but another coalition of fishing and environmental groups aren’t willing to assume that and are seeking to intervene in the suit on the side of the government. Even if the defendants win this suit, it does not mean the project will go forward, it only means that it may.? The ultimate decision may fall to the State of Louisiana, which is the project sponsor but not a party to the ongoing lawsuit. A year ago, there was little doubt they would have intervened, but that was then and a new Administration is now and Governor Jeff Landry’s support for the project has been open to interpretation. Stay tuned.

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