Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Creating a prosthetic delta?

From BLDGBlog by way of the New Scientist environment page, a description of a plan to create new wetlands in Louisiana by breaching levees in selected spots. They would make the breaches downstream from New Orleans, between the city and the Gulf of Mexico. The water would enter the shallow saltwater bays on either side of the levee, adding rich sediments and other nutrients. The idea is to create new delta land and ecosystems that could absorb storm surges. This is a much better alternative than the current system, which simply ejects the sediment into the Gulf, where it creates algae blooms and dead zones. The rich soil could help enhance protection for a vulnerable city.

Image of the proposed plan from New Scientist/Environment

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