Addressing Ecological and Coastal Protection in the Gulf Region
Originally published by Civil + Structural Engineer Media
When it comes to planning for climate change and protecting our communities, there are a few regions that are more vulnerable than the rest. As evidenced by several massive hurricanes in recent decades, the Gulf Region of the United States is paramount within these vulnerable regions. Over the course of geologic history, the Mississippi River has served an important purpose for the region, transporting sediment and debris from up-river and depositing it downstream to form new marsh lands.
Several projects are currently underway to help curb these issues including an interesting project in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana where WSP is designing a massive intake structure for the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion Project; the goal of this project is to divert sediment-laden water from the Mississippi River during high flow times.
