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The Origin and Future

ofLouisianas Crisis of Vulnerability

John Lopez, Ph. D.

Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation

Building Resiliency Workshop V

March 13, 2014

SaveOurLake.org

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49 miles X49 miles

From 1932 to 2006, 2,400 square miles of land lost to the sea

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Task Force Hope

Louisianas Crisis of Vulnerability

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Interagency Evaluation Performance Task Force, March 2006

Hurricane Katrina surge, Note: 5-foot reduction across 14 miles = 1/2.8 miles

Attached Peak Surge

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Detached Peak Surge

Multiple Lines of Defense and Hydrologic Habitat Restoration

Without surge

With surge

Source: Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation & Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, 2008)

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Detached Peak Surge

Multiple Lines of Defense and Hydrologic Habitat Restoration

With attached peak surge

With detached peak surge

Source: Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation & Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, 2008)

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Coastal Louisiana can survive without:

Shrimp Creole

Boiled CrabsThanksgiving oyster dressing

Mardi Gras

Crawfish

Pirogues

Jambalaya

birdingJazz

Cajun waltz

Bayous

French Quarter

Duck hunting

KayakingKing cake

Blues

Jazz Fest

River boats

Tabasco

Beignets

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Coastal Louisiana cannot survive without:

Coastal restoration

As the late Sen. Hainkel once said

Without Coastal restoration nothing else matters