ESPM 50AC - MR-GO Must Go Coalition Notes PDF

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MR-GO Must Go Coalition 10th Anniversary of Katrina: Making New Orleans a Sustainable Delta City for the Next Century • • • • • •

New Orleans settled atop Mississippi River Delta Levees aren’t enough to protect the communities Home elevation, storm water management, and ready for evacuation - how to protect Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (MRGO) = closed to ships! - no more storm surge funneled Restored healthy coast, appropriately designed levee system Much more land loss than land gain from 1932 to 2010

New Orleans & the Mississippi River Delta: Too Important to Disappear • Descendants of Native Americans, Acadians, Canary Islanders, Europeans, Africans, Vietnamese Cultural diversity = Iconic & essential to economy • Confluence of the Mississippi River & Gulf of Mexico - “Gateway to America” • • 2005 - Two massive hurricanes (Katrina & Rita) - land loss, faulty levees • Hurricane Katrina = Category 3 - Toppled floodwalls & breached earth levees • Extensive structural damage rubble • $91 Billion ($81 Billion from Katrina) & 1575 facilities • Losses in commercial fishing and more industries • Damage to Mississippi River ecosystem • Failures that led to damage in Greater New Orleans: • Loss of coastal wetlands that historically provided a buffer from storm surge ‘ • Design and construction flaws in levees, floodwalls, floodgates • Lack of storm preparedness in coastal communities • Wetlands starved of sediment due to levees, pipelines, navigation channels Protection and Resilience for the Greater New Orleans Area in the 21st Century • Protection like levees with wetlands, home elevation and evacuation Restoring Our Coastal Lines of Defense • Deterioration of southern Louisiana coast has reduced protection from storm surge • Man-made causes to losing wetlands - dredging oil and gas, navigation canals that increase saltwater and levees Natural causes - erosion • • MRGO - “Hurricane surge super-highway” • During Hurricane Katrina, MRGO created funnel that sent surge to communities Progress • Water Resources and Development Act (WRDA) 2007 - Required channel to close navigation • MRGO Ecosystem Restoration Plan • Master Plan will guide restoration work funded by RESTORE Act • Clean Water Act penalties from BP oil disaster • Barrier islands rebuilt to west of Mississippi River to protect marshes and communities inland • Marsh creation and shoreline armoring will reduce rate of erosion in area The Structural Improvement and Maintenance of the Levees • Levees for flood control in Delta leads back to French settlements • Must be complemented by another defense system

Progress • Improvements - Repairing and strengthening levees, floodwalls, floodgates, pump stations, and surge barrier • Harbor Navigation Canal-Lake Borgne Surge Barrier - Address funnel effect What Is Still Needed • Over time the system will deteriorate - periodically need to be lifted back • Long-term program and funding stream must be established for the operation and maintenance • Goal for HSDRRS to withstand 100-year flood event • Higher standard should be required since failure would be catastrophic for urban areas Community Defense and Resilience Greater New Orleans Urban Stormwater Management • Climate change raises frequency of extreme weather events • Region’s drainage system will not take care of the challenges even though it’s improved Progress • Funded GNO, Inc. to develop sustainable water management strategy • Greater New Orleans Urban Water Plan - complements Master Plan, broadening MLOD to include urban water management What Is Still Needed • Water management to enhance resiliency within levee system • Key policies to develop incentive programs for implementing water management features Nonstructural Defenses: Evacuation and Elevation • Communities have important responsibilities - Home elevation, preparing for evacuation, and insurance • Coastal communities cant for the long-term restoration and protection projects Progress • I-10 Bridge serves as a reliable evacuation route even though low sections • Personal vehicle evacuation from local government in case of impaired mobility...