Posted on January 31, 2025
According to data from the United States Geographical Survey, Louisiana lost approximately 1,866 square miles of coastline from 1932 to 2016. This means that the Louisiana land area has decreased by approximately 25% since 1932, and Louisiana loses approximately one American football field of coastline every 100 minutes.
There are a number of factors that make Louisiana’s coastline particularly vulnerable. According to the Louisiana State University College of the Coast and Environment Media Center, the leveeing of the Mississippi River has promoted coastline loss as the levees prevent the sediment from reaching the coast. Human activities, namely oil and gas drilling, have also caused land loss by “removing marsh, causing saltwater intrusion, and altering sedimentation and marsh hydrology.” Additionally, Louisiana’s susceptibility to hurricanes and other natural disasters, along with its proximity to the Gulf of Mexico, exacerbate the effects of climate change on coastline loss.
Louisiana experiences more coastline loss than all other states in the United States combined.
The state’s coastal wetlands constitute a significant portion of its total land area. These wetlands are crucial for supporting biodiversity, providing habitats for wildlife and protecting the mainland against natural disasters. For this reason, restoration efforts to support the resilience of the coastline are critical to ensure long-term durability.
To address coastline loss, the Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection, and Restoration Act was enacted in 1990 to fund coastline and wetlands restoration.
In August, the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority announced over $37 million in grant funding to support various Louisiana coastal restoration projects.
The Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council awarded $25.5 million in funding to the CPRA to implement the final phase of the System Wide Assessment and Monitoring Program. SWAMP is a program dedicated to collecting and analyzing data to support the development and restoration of Louisiana coastal projects.
Additionally, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recommended that the Chandeleur Island Restoration Project receive $10 million in funding.
The Chandeleur Islands are a chain of unpopulated barrier islands in the Gulf of Mexico. The islands have lost nearly 90% of their landmass due to natural disasters and human activity. While they are uninhabited, the islands are a popular fishing destination and home to various bird, mammal and fish species. The CPRA is currently in the engineering and design phase of the rehabilitation process and will restore 13 miles of the islands. Once this funding is secured, construction will begin in 2026.
NOAA plans to provide The Nature Conservancy in support of the projects associated with the GulfCorps Resilience Collaborative. This initiative will give Louisiana approximately $2.4 million for gulf coast restoration.
