Louisiana Ratings Indicator Type Info Status Beach Access 1   2   Water Quality 7   3   Beach Erosion 7   -  Erosion Response -  2   Beach Fill 6   -  Shoreline Structures 6   3   Beach Ecology 4   -  Surfing Areas 2   4   Website 4   -  Explain this chart

Louisiana 

Summary

Louisiana has plentiful coastal resources, including 30% of the total coastal marsh in the lower 48 states. The state is also experiencing rapid loss of coastal marsh land, due in large part to the channelization of the Mississippi River, which historically provided sediment to build the Mississippi Delta. Hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated the coast and recovery will take considerable time. Coastal access and access information are lacking. The beach water monitoring program was just gaining traction before the hurricanes and has been set back. There is a considerable amount of shoreline armoring that has been installed for hurricane protection of low-lying areas. Shoreline armoring policies should be developed and updated to reflect lessons learned from the recent hurricanes. Comprehensive draft plans are being developed to restore coastal wetlands and protect coastal communities.

Indicators

(+) The U.S. Geological Survey has conducted research studies and monitoring in Louisiana for many years. Their Web site contains a wealth of coastal erosion data.
(+) Louisiana lawmakers and voters have restricted the use of oil drilling revenues to only wetlands and coastal preservation.

(0) Between 1956 and 2004, Louisiana's coastal land decrease was a net loss of 1,149 square miles, a total of about 24 square miles per year. From 2004 to 2005, there was a loss of approximately 217 square miles, an increase of about 193 square miles from the previous year’s totals.

(-) Public access to beaches and recreational areas situated on the Gulf of Mexico currently comprise less than one percent of the entire Louisiana coastline. Access points along the coast that were once available to the public are now closed due to private ownership or commercial development.
(-) Louisiana’s LCZ is experiencing drastic land loss brought about by a combination of levee construction, subsidence, and sea level rise.
(-) The Office of State Parks is concerned about sewage treatment, agricultural runoff, industrial waste, and littering affecting public recreational facilities.
(-) Federal and state reduction in funds has hampered the ability for normal everyday operations, maintenance, and repair of recreational facilities and programs. Funding from the federal government through the Land and Water Conservation Fund and the Federal Highway Administration to fund acquisition and development of public outdoor recreation areas and facilities and the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development’s Transportation Enhancement Program respectively have been cut drastically.
(-) Louisiana currently has no central repository for compiling pubic access available throughout the Louisiana Coastal Zone or the state. A database containing all public access sites with pertinent information (i.e., directions, specifications, and pictures) would aid Louisiana residents and tourists who use recreational facilities in Louisiana. This could also support emergency and planning efforts during the response and recovery stage of a natural disaster or other emergency event. The State of Louisiana does not publish a Coastal Access Guide or keep a Web site listing the coastal access locations.

Victories

• Protected Coastal Cypress Forests Surfrider’s Central Gulf Coast Chapter gained a victory when the Southern District Court of Georgia ruled that the Corps of Engineers unlawfully issued the exemption for cypress logging in violation of the Clean Water Act. This is a huge victory for those trying to protect cypress forests because the decision shows that the Corps must support its decision-making with evidence in the record. It also sets the bar high for what the Corps has to do in order to grant a silviculture exemption.