Terrascope Team 4
Dan Beauboeuf
Bibliography
Water Quality Analysis of a Freshwater Diversion at Caernarvon,
Louisiana
Lane, Robert R., and John
W. Day Jr. Water Quality Analysis of a Freshwater Diversion At
Caernarvon, Louisiana. Coastal Ecology Institute, Louisiana State
University. Baton Rouge Louisiana, 1998.
"Since 1991, the Mississippi River has been diverted through a
relatively small estuary that encompasses 100km^2 of fresh and brakish,
rapidly subsiding wetlands. The area suffered from nitrogen-
nitrate contamination during a documented period from 1984-1990.
When the diversion was implemented it resulted in a rapid reduction of
nitrogen and decreased salinite concentrations in the estuary."
Reducing Nitrogen Loads, Especially Nitrate- Nitrogen, to Surface
Water, Ground Water, and the Gulf of Mexico
Mitsch, William J., John W. Day
Jr., J W. Gilliam, Peter M. Goffman, and Donald L. Hey. Reducing
Nitrogen Loads, Especially Nitrate- Nitrogen, to Surface Water, Ground
Water, and the Gulf of Mexico. National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce. 1999.
This report published by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration attempts to identify the causes for invreased amounts of
harmful nutrients running off into the Gulf of Mexico. The report
describes a persistent and severly low levels of oxygen. After
identifying the root causes for this problem, it proposes some
apporaches for reducing this problem. They include changing
cropping systems, reducing nitrogen fertilizer application rates,
Managing manure spreading, controlling drainage into wetlands,
controlling stormwater drainiage...
Geological Characteristics of Mississippi Delta
Surface- and Groundwater Hydrology of the
Acadian-Pontchartrain NAWQA." US Geological Survey. US Geological
Survey. 26 Sept. 2006
<http://la.water.usgs.gov/nawqa/hydrology.htm>.
This website is a description of the geological characteristics of the
Mississippi River Delta. It explains the ecological qualities of the
areas surrounding the river, as well as the river's chemical
composition. The information presented also describes the different
types of streams that branch off from the main river. This information
is particularly pertinent for wetland redevelopment. The website also
briefly describes the soil quality surrounding the river in the New
Orleans area as being mostly silts and clays. Levee building must take
these specific soil qualities into account.
Levee Districts and Levee Building in Mississippi
Harrison, Robert W. Levee Districts and Levee Building in Mississippi.
The Miss. Delta Council, 1951. 1-253.
A study published in 1951 describing the history of the building of
levees in the Yazoo Mississippi River Basin. It features the
history of levee construction in New Orleans beginning with the Swamp
Land Grant of 1850 and ending with the Federal Flood Control Act of
1927. This publication is primarily focused on the history and
politics of early levee boards in the city. (i.e. Enough Dirt in
the Right Place- The levee program of 1897-1903. Contract
information from 1897. The effects of building new levees on
Arkansas…)
Floods in the Valley of the Mississippi
Kemper, J. P. Floods in the Valley of the Mississippi. New Orleans,
Louisiana: National Flood Commission, ca. 1930. 1-255.
J.P. Kemper writes about the 1927 flood of the Mississippi River that
prompted the creation of the first comprehensive levee building
plan. He provides an analysis of the damage, costs and suggested
courses of action regarding the protection of residents living on the
river. He describes in detail the appropriations process of the
U.S. Chamber of Commerce at the time, as well as describes the
conflicting interests of the local levee boards. Tributary
interests are also discussed. Their ideas were not represented in
the final plans but they had suggested to “impound” the water and put
it to work in irrigation, removing the need for any levee system at all.
The Mississippi River
Chambers, Julius. The Mississippi River. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons,
1910.
The Mississippi River And Its Wonderful Valley is a history of the
Mississippi River Valley. Chambers begins with the very first
Spanish explorers to discover the mouth of the Mississippi River in the
late fifteenth century. It progress to the period of French
control of Louisiana, discussing the French explorations of the
surrounding land in detail. This is followed by discussion of the
post- Louisiana Purchase explorations of the Jefferson
Presidency. The book ends with the personal accounts of the
author as he traveled along the river.
The Atchafalaya National Heritage Act
United States. Cong. Atchafalaya National Heritage Act. 109th Cong.,
1st sess. S. 204. Washington: GPO, 2005.
Introduced by Senators Landrieu and Vitter on January 31, 2005.
Its purpose is to make the Atchafalaya region of Louisiana a National
Heritage Area. Because the Atchafalaya River flows out of the
Mississippi River in central Louisiana, it is located in an area of
particular historical and ecological importance. Many of the
current residents of the Atchafalaya area are descendants of French
speaking people who settled in the eighteenth century. In
addition, it is an ecologically valuable resource because of its
connection to the Mississippi. The Atchafalaya Act allowed
for the Federal Government to assist the State of Louisiana in
maintaining the area.
Coastal 2050 Plan
"Project Overview." Coast 2050. Louisiana Dept. of Natural Resources.
21 Sept. 2006 <www.coastal2050.gow>.
In 1998 the Federal Government approved Coast 2050, a coastal
restoration plan that is intended to address the environmental needs of
the wetlands surrounding New Orleans and the Mississippi River.
This plan is supposed to counteract the 25-35 square miles of wetland
loss that occur every year off the Louisiana coast. The focus of
the plan is on Barataria Basin, a wetland area that loses the most land
per year of all areas (11 square miles per year).
Breach of Faith
Horne, Jed. Breach of Faith. New York: Random House, 2006.
Breach of Faith is a book describing what happened during hurricane
Katrina. It is a discusses the way that New Orleans residents
evacuated the area. Of particular interest is the groups of
people who evacuated compared to those who did not. Chapter for
is of particular interest because it talks about the way people in the
city evacuated. Specifically who evacuated to where and
when.
It’s Cheaper to Go Dutch; the Netherlands is Expert At Keeping Itself
Dry So Why Aren’t
Hosenball, Mark. "It's Cheaper to Go Dutch; the Netherlands is Expert
At Keeping Itself Dry. So Why Aren'T U.S. Bureaucrats Seeking More of
Its Help Rebuilding the Levees?" Newsweek 4 Sept. 2006:
This Newsweek article discusses the possibility of employing Dutch
civil engineers in a new levee system to protect New Orleans. It
notes that the government program in place to restore the levees to
their former state is a waste of time and resources. The New
Orleans system (the one we are recreating) is supposed to protect for a
100 year storm. This clearly did not work. Hosenball also
notes that the Dutch systems are designed for a 10,000 year
storm.
A Disaster Long in the Making; How man distorted the delicate dance
between the delta and the sea
McQuaid, John, and Mark Schleifstein. "A Disaster Long in the Making;
How Man Distorted the Delicate Dance Between the Delta and the Sea." US
News & World Report 4 Sept. 2006: 45-46.
For many centuries peoples have lived on the Mississippi River Delta
without disrupting the river’s flow. The river provided
inhabitants with transportation and food, and the river was left to
flow in whatever direction. Not until recently has the river been
channeled into a specific path. This channeling made surrounding
marshes that used to protect New Orleans shrink from lack of sediment
normally deposited by the river. The area’s natural protection is
disappearing. By the late 80’s and early 90’s analysts knew that
the situation had deteriorated to the point where even a small storm
could put the city under water.
System Failure Gets Blame In New Orleans
Bergeron, Angelle. "System Failure Gets Blame in New Orleans."
Engineering News- Record 12 June 2006: 10.
This article cites the lack of synchronization in the levee system as a
major cause for its catastrophic failure. The system for water
management was outmoded, and unsynchronized research data contributed
to a disjointed levee system.
Raising Levees is Even More Costly
Sawyer, Tom. "Raising Levees is Even More Costly." Engineering News-
Record 10 Apr. 2006: 10.
When President Bush asked Congress to restore the levee system to pre-
Katrina levels of protection, it was projected to cost $3.5 Billion
dollars. However research has shown that to give the city
protection for a 100 year storm (the protection level originally
mandated) the system did not meet federal flood insurance program
standards and would require another $6 Billion of additional
modification.
Engineers' Panel Urges Study Of All Levees in New Orleans
Schwartz, John. "Engineers' Panel Urges Study of All Levees in New
Orleans." The New York Times 26 Mar. 2006, Late ed.: 1.18.
The U.S. Army Corps. Of Engineers created a panel in order to analyze
its own work on the levee system in New Orleans to find out where it
failed. They reported that the original designers of the levees
had not anticipated that floodwaters could push could breach the levees
from underneath. The safest course of action would be to study
all the levees in the city for weaknesses.
Investigators Question Levee Repair Work, Corps Defends It
Sawyer, Tom. "Investigators Question Levee Repair Work, Corps Defends
It." Engineering News- Record 27 Feb. 2006: 14.
Robert Bea and Raymond Seed, professors of engineering with the
National Science Foundation from the University of California Berkeley,
claim that the contractors in charge of rebuilding the levees in New
Orleans are using faulty materials. They claim that the scoured
areas are being repaired with clay contaminated with too much organic
matter to resist erosion.
Into the Breach
Fischetti, Mark. "Into the Breach." Scientific American Feb. 2006: 92.
The most common way for levees to fail is for water to weaken the base
until the barriers topple or collapse. The only way for levees to
withstand water is by building them with very strong foundations.
Satellite Images Show Parts of the City Are Subsiding at 10 Feet a
Century
Berger, Eric. "Satellite Images Show Parts of the City are Subsiding At
10 Feet a Century." Knight Ridder Tribune Business News 1 July 2006.
Satellite pictures indicate that New Orleans is sinking in some areas
much more drastically than previously anticipated. The worst
sinking occurs on the eastern boundary of the Lower 9th Ward, and St.
Bernard Parish which could have sunk as much as 10 feet. The
levees protecting these areas also appear to have subsided by as much
as three feet.
Conspiracy of the Levees: The Latest Battle of New Orleans
Colten, Craig E. "Conspiracy of the Levees: the Latest Battle of New
Orleans." World Watch Magazine Sept.-Oct. 2006: 8-13.
A brief history of the development of the City of New Orleans beginning
in the pre- French eighteenth century. Provides a description of
the topography of the area, the reasoning behind the early building
plans, and a record of floods in the area.
The Long Strange Resurrection of New Orleans
Mann, Charles C. "The Long Strange Resurrection of New Orleans."
Fortune 21 Aug. 2006: 86.
The story of a real estate agent who lives in the wealthy neighborhood
unaffected by hurricane Katrina. Ruthie Frierson is fed up with
the levee boards who seem to be interested in everything but levees,
the state government who is waiting for the local government to get in
order for asking for federal help, and the federal government for not
being more interested. She has started a movement to change New
Orleans politics.
Army Builders Accept Blame Over Flooding
Schwartz, John. "Army Builders Accept Blame Over Flooding." The New
York Times 2 June 2006, Late ed.: a.1.
Although investigators found no record of misconduct, contractors and
the U.S. Army Corps. Of Engineers failed to take into account the
properties of the soil on which their levees were built. The
levees show evidence of subsiding multiple feet below acceptable
levels. The Corps. was faulted for not re- examining the levees
even after warnings about subsidence.
TO BE EQUAL : Independent Inspection of America’s Flood Control System
is Necessary to Avert a Repeat of Katrina
Morial, Marc H. "TO BE EQUAL: Independent Inspection of America's Flood
Control System is Necessary to Avert a Repeat of Katrina." The
Tennessee Tribune 1 June 2006: a4.
Editorial from the Tennessee Tribune explaining that because the
majority of the devastation from hurricane Katrina was the result of
human error, it is necessary for U.S. Army Secretary Francis J. Harvey
to appoint a commission responsible for inspecting America’s flood
protection system.
Louisiana Had Disjointed Storm Protection, Was System in Name Only,’
Corps Finds
Bordeau, Cain. "Louisiana Had Disjointed Storm Protection, 'Was System
in Name Only,' Corps Finds." Chicago Defender 2 June 2006.
U.S. Army Corps. of Engineers concludes after investigation that the
levee system in place to protect New Orleans from hurricanes was built
disjointedly from conflicting data.
Map Showing Landslide Area Surrounding New Orleans
Dokka, Roy. Dicovery Channel. 26 Sept. 2006
<http://dsc.discovery.com/news/briefs/20060327/neworleans_pla_zoom0.html>.
"Not only is southern Louisiana sinking, it's sliding, says a geologist
who has mapped out a giant landslide, above, that runs right through
New Orleans." Roy Dokka
