Restoring Coastal Louisiana

Louisiana's coastal wetlands represent a significant natural and economic resource for the state and the nation but have been disappearing at a rate of 25 to 35 square miles each year. In the past 50 years, more than 1,500 square miles have been lost. The wetlands contain 95 per cent of all marine species in the Gulf of Mexico, 30 per cent of the nation's fisheries, one of the largest habitats in the world for migratory waterfowl, and more than 25 per cent of all oil and gas used in the United States originates or pass through there. They also serve as a buffer for hurricanes. The state of Louisiana asked the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) to convene a summit to discuss technical aspects involved in carrying out restoration programs, and to report on the insights that could be drawn from the summit. This report of the ASCE Task Committee on America's Wetland provides conclusions and recommendations concerning the technical topics discussed at the summit, as well as the Task Committee's recommendations for a path forward.