Dear John,

Louisiana’s Barataria Basin is one of America’s most valuable estuaries. The wetlands there serve as a natural buffer that shield New Orleans and surrounding communities from destructive storms. It’s also home to the abundant and diverse wildlife in the region.

But since the 1930s, the Basin has seen some of the highest rates of land loss on Earth. Nearly 300,000 acres of land and counting have been lost, destroying homes and crucial wildlife habitat. This land loss began when levees were created to assume artificial control over the Mississippi River. They cut off the river’s natural flow, disrupting the processes that had built up the state of Louisiana over thousands of years. Now, the land loss crisis leaves the entire region incredibly vulnerable from more intense hurricanes and sea level rise.

Right now, we have the chance to protect this American ecological treasure and build lasting resilience for communities across the region — but we need your help. 

Take action now to demand the Army Corps of Engineers protect our coastal communities and ecosystems across the Mississippi River Delta by implementing the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion.
 

The Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion would be the largest coastal restoration effort in American history. Monumental problems require monumental solutions — after all, this was the epicenter of the 2010 BP oil spill, the largest marine oil spill in history. This project will not only shore up the region’s climate resilience but also repair the lasting damage, including accelerated land erosion, caused by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

This innovative project is based on decades of solid science. It will harness the natural land-building power of the Mississippi River by reconnecting it to its deteriorating wetlands, delivering much-needed sediment and fresh water. Over 30 years, the project will build and sustain 17,300 acres of vital land. Decades of leading science and project modelling has shown that this is the best long-term solution to the region’s land loss crisis. Without the river’s sediment, there is no way to rebuild or sustain these wetlands. 

The Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion is our best bet to protect communities and save lives. In the past, the region’s wetlands served as a natural buffer that protected its people and wildlife from storm surges. The loss of this natural protection has exacerbated the devastation of severe storms such as Hurricane Katrina and Rita in 2005. The threat of recurring devastation means we need urgent action to rebuild natural safeguards to mitigate the human, environmental and economic cost of future disasters. 

And this moment in time is an absolutely crucial one for the future of the project. The currently ongoing public comment period on the recently released Draft Environmental Impact Statement could make or break its chances. For the largest eco-restoration project in American history to become reality, it’s critical that advocates like you stand up for it and show your support. 

Please, take action today to help our nation turn the tide on this land loss crisis, and defend the future of New Orleans and the Mississippi River Delta. Speak up to protect the future of our coastal communities and ecosystems — submit a public comment today.

Thank you for your support and activism,

Steve Cochran
Associate Vice President, Coastal Resilience