In a stark contrast to what’s happening across the Louisiana coast, new land is forming along the east bank of the Mississippi River, 35 miles southeast of New Orleans.
Mardi Gras Pass has recently formed, reconnecting the river to the wetlands. Right away, fresh water and sediment were able to benefit the area.
Sediment carried down by the river, through Mardi Gras Pass, settles to the bottom of bayous and bays creating new land.
Fishermen now catch freshwater bass alongside saltwater redfish.
And the scars of human activity—pipelines, navigation canals, oil and gas canals, etc.—have been filled in by the land-building power of the river.
As Louisiana continues to lose land at an astonishing rate every day, it’s important that we seek to understand and apply the best science from the areas gaining land across the coast.