John Bel Edwards: We need the Mid-Barataria diversion to help save our coast

If there’s one thing most Louisianans agree on, it is this: the value and necessity of restoring and protecting our coast.

For decades, we’ve taught our schoolchildren about the dire land loss crisis we face as a state. And for the first time, our coastal program is making major, tangible progress in our fight to restore much of what’s been lost.

During my second inaugural address, I made the declaration that over the next four years, we will break ground on projects that will restore more land than we expect to lose.

While the majority of CPRA’s master plan includes coastal restoration projects that are accomplished through dredging, the cornerstone of the plan calls for sediment diversion projects that will reconnect the river to the basins it once nourished. These diversions serve the dual purpose of protecting our existing projects and investments while building a natural storm surge buffer along our coast.

Read more: https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/opinion/article_69f20622-c2f8-11eb-8551-4789c5f16bae.html