Where has the Marsh Gone?

Shawn Swearingen for SPLIT REED

Cover Photo by Richie Blink, Courtesy of Vanishing Paradise

When the Gulf Coast comes to mind, the layperson usually pictures the “Redneck Riviera” of Alabama and the Florida panhandle. For a duck hunter, however, nothing could be further from that. The area stretching from Mississippi through Louisiana and into Texas truly is the sportsmen’s paradise. Teal, diving ducks, widgeon, gadwall, and many other species winter in this dwindling expanse of marsh. This is a complex matter with many different interests involved. There is a guiding plan though but is it doing enough and doing it in time. 

The levees controlling the Mississippi River have been doing so for the sake of commerce and ‘modern civilization’ for generations, while the delta marsh along the risen earth on either side diminishes with each hurricane. Due to the control of the levees, a majority of the country’s sediment is getting washed down the river and over the continental shelf. Without this sediment and the natural cycle of creation, entire ecosystems are pushed further and further inland. 

In 2009, a group was formed called Vanishing Paradise. A meeting of the minds between the National Wildlife Federation (NWF), Environmental Defense Fund, Audubon Society, Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, and the Pontchartrain Conservancy was created by the necessity of advocacy work on behalf of the delta. Vanishing Paradise provides a voice for the critical habitat that is no longer getting the sediment it needs to rebuild and retain land thanks to erosion by the Gulf Coast waters, storm surges, and hurricanes. 

The Louisiana Comprehensive Master Plan for a Sustainable Coast was finalized first in 2012, again in 2017 and now for 2023 is the guide for revitalization projects along the Mississippi River and the delta. A critical component of the plan is creating ‘sediment diversions’ from the Mississippi River. These types of diversions push the sediment loads from the river out into the marsh to build land. Every 100 minutes, for 24 hours a day that football field size of the land is lost because it isn’t being replenished. A statistic that is so dynamic that Vanishing Paradise updates it every three years. 

This delta habitat and the ripple effects of its loss impact so many species of birds, fish, and communities that groups one might think would be at odds politically, are working together. These groups are sitting together with Vanishing Paradise, Ducks Unlimited, and sportsmen educating members of the public and elected officials. One of those sportsmen advocates for Vanishing Paradise is Bill Cooksey. “The biggest thing is working with sportsmen and the overwhelming support they provide as they learn about the marsh loss. It is such an uplifting thing, watching them learn more and get engaged in the effort that I have to call it a success.”

Bill relayed a powerful point in one of the public meetings that another advocate, Warren Coco of Go-Devil, stated: “Y’all are fishing and shrimping where your grandads hunted rabbits.” It is hard to describe this loss in so few words like this. There is hope though. “If you look at just the median data with sea-level rise and of the diversions, discounting all of the variables with storms and different rate of sediment flow levels in the river. If you put just the median date for these into the equation for all of the projects [in the Coastal Management plan] it would take about 50 years to start a net gain in restoration in new land and marsh.” 

One of the projects that would assist in gaining back some of this ground would be the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion. This project alone has a goal of adding 68,000 acres of marsh from the diversion. As if Mother Nature wanted to make a point, Hurricane Ida this year has created a setback in the progress by hitting the project site directly. 

While projects within the plan await final approval or funding, success is happening where things are already implemented like at the Bay Denesse Delta Water Management Project. This project has enhanced roughly 2,500 acres of marsh in Plaquemines Parish. You can watch it first-hand here. Each project and diversion of sediment add up over time creating new land and marsh for waterfowl and fish.

If you are ever so lucky to go for redfish or speckled trout in Louisiana, talk to your guide and ask them how often they have to update their GPS maps on the boat. You’ll see firsthand how dynamic marsh habitat is but also how much opportunity there is for restoration while there is still time. As a parting note from Bill, “If all of us hunters got a little bit more educated on a few of these issues it is amazing what we could accomplish.”

For more Split Reed Original Content click here.