ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL CONSEQUENCES 

 OF LAND LOSS IN LOUISIANA 



Donald W. Davis 



Earth Science Department 



Nicholls State University 



Thibodaux, LA 70310 



ABSTRACT 



Louisiana's coastal lowlands are facing a serious dilemma. The problem is related 

 directly to man's interference with the Mississippi River's flow regime and the effects of 

 erosion induced by natural processes— winds, waves, currents, and tides. As a result, the 

 wetlands are out of balance. Progradation has been superseded by erosion with land 

 disappearing at an alarming rate. Approximately 103.6 km'^/yr (40 mi^/yr) are being 

 destroyed—changing from barrier island and protected marshes to open water. 



The next 200 years are critical, since a large portion of Louisiana's coastal zone 

 will be eroded away. In the process an important nursery ground and habitat for 

 migratory waterfowl, fur and hide-bearing animals and fisheries will be lost. "High" land, 

 already scarce, will be at a premium and the cumulative economic effect will be 

 measured in the billions of dollars. 



New Orleans will lose its natural defense against a hurricane-induced storm surge. 

 With parts of the "Crescent City" 6.1 m (20 ft) below sea level, it cannot afford to be at 

 the mercy of an unimpeded tropical cyclone. Without the surrounding marshes, the first 

 line of defense will have vanished. 



Trappers will lose the habitat preferred by muskrat and nutria. The Nation's 

 preeminent fur-producing region, producing from $2 million to $24 million in annual pelt 

 sales, will be gone. Additional renewable resources, such as shrimp, oysters, crab, and 

 menhaden, worth hundreds of millions of dollars annually, will no longer have a habitat 

 that supports more than 25% of the country's commercial fisheries. Concomitant with 

 the decline in these industries will be the partial demise of the nearly $200 million 

 recreational industry. 



Probably the most important single loss to the State will be Louisiana's land/water 

 boundary. As this line retreats, the limit of Louisiana's offshore zone moves shoreward. 

 The end result is the forfeiture of millions of dollars in oil royalties— at least $20 million 

 for each mile of coastal retreat. Further, the multibillion dollar infrastructure 

 associated with the petroleum industry also faces the loss of valuable "high" ground; thus 

 a number of favorable advantages of living and working in Louisiana are changed. 



Unique lifestyles will also be altered or lost. Centuries-old traditions will die. The 

 cultural heritage of the region will be diluted and the economic resources responsible for 



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