The Louisiana coast is in grave danger as it faces threats of rising seas, oil…
Can we Stop the Louisiana Coast from Eroding?
With the Louisiana coast rapidly disappearing at a rate of 20 square miles per year, it begs the question: Is stopping the coast from eroding possible?
With the funds Louisiana has gained following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, our state has been able to compensate for the damage caused as well as construct new living marsh and shoreline projects. The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation alone has gained nearly $1.27 billion just for Louisiana diversion and barrier island projects. With the state doing its part, how can we all do our part in stopping the coast from eroding?
What You Can Do
Water and wind are the two main causes of erosion, resulting in soil being swept away. Thankfully, preventing soil erosion is something you can do at home with the following tips:
1. Adding Vegetation
The roots of plants like grass and shrubs help to keep the soil together, and their leaves block the rain from breaking apart the soil.
2. Adding Rocks and Mulch
If you’re worried about your plants and seeds being washed away before they get the chance to grow, adding rocks and mulch to your soil will help weigh them down. This will also reduce runoff by slowing the absorption of water. If you don’t plan on planting anything, mulch alone will help keep the soil together.
3. Protecting Slopes
Fiber mulch mats and logs can be used to hold vegetation on slopes. These options help keep the mulch together in areas where it would typically blow or wash away. Retaining walls are also helpful on slopes, as they keep it from collapsing by blocking the soil from falling downhill and allowing time for vegetation to grow.
4. Adequate Drainage
By effectively routing water away from your garden and into water collection systems, you can prevent your topsoil from washing away. When you do water your garden, be very careful not to over-water it, as this will speed up erosion.
5. Prevent Compacting
When animals, people, or machines travel on top of soil, it is forcibly pressed down, compacting into a dense layer. This makes it hard for plants to grow and water to pass through, and the surface soil winds up being carried downhill. To fix this problem, you can create cleared paths to direct traffic away from your soil. Manure and compost will also help by attracting earthworms to break down the soil into loose clumps.
What We Do
At Stan’s Airboat & Marsh, we’re doing our best to protect our precious marshlands, using environmentally-friendly tactics and coastal land reclamation. Through dikes, floodbanks, levees, stopbanks, and embankments, we’re able to protect freshwater and tidal wetlands found on the lake and river floodplains of not only the Louisiana coast, but all over the country. Contact us today to learn more about our coastal land reclamation services!
