Chris Neill: It appears that chenier plain progradation is one of the most effective 

 means of gaining new land. What are the pros and cons of letting more flow down 

 the Atchafalaya to accelerate this process? 



John Wells: Certainly the building of new land and new marsh in the Atchafalaya Bay 

 and downdrift to the west would be a plus. 



Raphael Kazmann: The negative aspects present very tough, political situations in which 

 compromises cannot be reached. Increasing diversion to the Atchafalaya presents 

 serious problems to the New Orleans water supply during low flow. Too little 

 diversion causes problems at Morgan City. The question becomes "Who is going to 

 drink salt water?" 



Donald Boesch: One consequence not often discussed is the effect of river diversions on 

 adjacent continental shelf water, particularly increased stratification and resulting 

 low oxygen conditions, sedimentation, and nutrient enrichment. This should also be 

 considered in evaluating diversions which affect coastal and shelf waters. 



Ron Boyd: Even though there may be such effects, they would not be unusual ones in the 

 history of the river and the adjacent continental shelf environment, because fresh 

 water was often discharged from more than one major distributary at a time. 



John Wells: It is important to realize that land loss is only a subaerial loss; the subaerial 

 land that reverts to shallow water bottom also has a natural resource value. We 

 need to ask how much more valuable is an acre of marsh than an acre of water 

 bottom, as a nursery ground for shrimp or other species. 



Johannes van Beek: Marshes and water bottoms are linked together. Without the input 

 from the marsh that acre of water bottom will not be of much good. Your question 

 should be modified to "What is the right combination of water and marsh?" 



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