Shoring up an eroding coast.

• Author: Savage, Melissa

It happened again. Just after the one-year anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, residents of the Gulf Coast and those living along the Mississippi River faced another challenge. This time, it was the rising water of the Mississippi River, swelled from heavy rain.

This region has been hit hard. First, Hurricane Katrina swept in and landed a devastating blow. Five years later, the BP oil spill spread serious economic and environmental harm.

Each of these incidents expose the fragility of the ecosystem that exists throughout the Mississippi River basin and the Gulf of Mexico. Each has drawn attention to concerns that have been building for years in the region: How do we balance the region's economic needs with a desire to protect the environment?

A coalition of nature advocacy groups, ecologists, environmental groups, oil companies and state lawmakers has been meeting, studying and developing a plan to ensure the long-term viability of this region. The coalition was gathered by the America's WETLAND Foundation, a nonprofit group that has been tracking erosion along the coast of Louisiana and advocating a regional solution to the problem.

CUT OFF AND DRIED UP

Louisiana is home to 30 percent of coastal marsh land in this country, but the area has experienced 90 percent of the marsh land lost in the lower 48 states, according to the foundation. The coast is being swallowed up at an alarming rate. Estimates are, that by 2050, Louisiana's coastline will have lost 500 square miles.

This delicate ecosystem is home to migratory birds, fish and wildlife. But it is also an important area for offshore oil drilling, tourism and commercial fishing. Balancing the needs of all these elements can be a struggle.

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The challenge of managing the Mighty Mississippi is nothing new. In 1927, the river flooded 27,000 square miles in seven states and caused $400 million in damage. In the aftermath, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers designed a system of levees to offer flood protection to homes, farms and people living in New Orleans. A key unintended consequence was that the redirection of the river cut off the wetlands from the natural process they needed to survive.

It's no easy task to manage the water flow and limit the risk of flooding homes and businesses while encouraging the area to do what it does naturally provide flood protection. Environmentalists argue the marshland is capable of providing natural flood control. But as it...