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Future Harsh Creation. We are now authorized to dredge the Hisslsslppi
River to -55 NGVD. When we do so, we will move 57 million cubic yards
of material during construction and 30 million cubic yards each year.
We have calculated that we could create 55 square miles of marsh If all
this material is used. In this project, we have Included funds to
control initial height and to monitor and refine our marsh creation
efforts. We have also completed the environmental documentation to
create 500 acres of marsh on Baratarla Bay Waterway.
Conclusion
In summary, marsh Is more valuable than shallow open water. When we use
dredged sediments to build marsh, some toxicants may enter the
ecosystem, but concentrations should not be much above background
levels. And since we are losing SO sq. mi. per year (and have lost one
acre in the 16 minutes you have taken to read this paper) the benefits
outweigh the losses.
Literature Cited
McCauley, J.E., D.R. Hancock, and R.A. Parr, "Maintenance Dredging and
Four Polychaete Worms." Proceedings of Spocial Conference on
Dredging and its Environmental Effects. Published by ASCE. 1976.
Mlnello, T.J. end R.J. Zimmerman, "Fish Predatlon of Juvenile Brown
Shrimp, Penaeus qztecus. Ives: The Effect of Simulated Spartlna
Structure on Predatlon Rates." J. Exp. Marine Biol. Ecology
72:211-231. 1983.
Odua, W.E. and J.C. Zleman, "The Importance of Vascular Plant Detritus
to Estuaries." Pages 91-114, Proceedings 2nd Symposium on Coastal
Harsh and Estuarine Management. Louisiana State University, Baton
Rouge, 1972.
Oliver, J.S. and P.N. Slattery, "Effects of Dredging and Disposal on
Some Benthos at Monterey Bay, California", Technical Paper 76-15.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Coastal Eng. Res. Center, 1976.
Stlckney, R.R., "Effects of Intrscoastal Waterway Dredging on
Icthyofauna and Benthic Hacrolnvertebrates", Skldaway Institute of
Oceanography, Savannah, GA, Technical Report Scries No. 72-74.
1972.
Turner, R.E., "Louisiana's Coastal Fisheries and Changing Environmental
Conditions", pages 363-370. Proceedings of 3rd Coastal Harsh and
Estuary Management Symposium. Louisiana State university, Division
of Continuing Education, Baton Rouge, 1979.