# Presentation: 947458

## “Closing” the                              Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (MRGO): Environmental and Economic Implications

- Coastal Wetland Planning, Preservation, and Restoration Act (CWPPRA)
- Outreach Committee Topic Series
- December 2001

## Case Study of the MRGO 

** ****Calls for action**

** ****Future considerations**

** ****What does “*****closing*****” mean?**

** ****Impacts to the region**

** ****Project background**

## MRGO - Background Info

** ****Authorized dimensions:**
** ****650’ surface width,  500’ bottom width**
** ****36’ depth**
** ****76 miles**

** ****1958-65: Construction $92 Million**

** ****1956: Approved by Congress**

** ****311 million yd****3**** of dredged volume**

## MRGO Location

**MRGO Location**

## MRGO Rationale

** ****Navigation shortcut**
** ****Economic development**

## “... the (MRGO) is a chance for the industrial development of St. Bernard parish as a supplement to the great industrial growth of neighboring Orleans parish” 

- New Orleans States News, 1957

## “...Excavation of the (MRGO) could result in major ecological change with widespread and severe ecological consequences”

*** ***
**US Dept. of Interior, 1958**

## “... This department is greatly concerned about the direct (MRGO) influence on fish and wildlife resources...we anticipate considerable indirect losses due to changes in currents, saltwater intrusion, drifting of spoil into adjacent areas, and other project associated factors”

*** ***
**Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission, 1958**

## MRGO - Environmental Impacts

** ****Accelerated erosion**

** ****Dredge disposal**

** ****Land loss from excavation**

## Saltwater Intrusion

**	****1959-1961: 12 ppt                1962-1964: 12 ppt**
**(US Dept. of Interior 1979)**

**Saltwater Intrusion**

## MRGO Habitat Loss & Transition (USACE 1999)

** ****Lost, destroyed, or severely altered                                          **
** ****1500 acres cypress swamps and levee forest **
** ****3400 acres fresh/intermediate marsh**
** ****10300 acres brackish marsh**
** ****4200 acres saline marsh**

** ****Habitat transition                                          **
** ****11000 acres fresh/intermediate to brackish**
** ****19000 acres brackish to saline**

## Habitat Loss and Displacement

**Habitat Loss and Displacement**

## Waterfowl

**Waterfowl**

## Fur Industry

## Fisheries Reduction and Displacement

## Fisheries Displacement

**Fisheries Displacement**

## Storm-Surge Superhighway?

**Storm-Surge Superhighway?**

## MRGO - Economic Impacts

** ****Regional barge traffic - limited export**

** ****Local employment: 5000-15000 jobs **

** ****$28/acre to impacted landowners **

** ****Initial surge regional employment**

** ****3% of shipping in Southeast La**

## MRGO Maintenance Cost

**MRGO Maintenance Cost**

** ****$22.1 Million per year  for dredging**

** ****$41.7 Million in 1998 after Hurricane Georges**

## MRGO Maintenance Cost

** ****$12,657 per deep draft vessel, per day**

**MRGO Maintenance Cost**

## Environmental costs?

** ****20,000 acres lost**

** ****Ecosystem service values: $300 - $4300/acre **

** ****$250 million to - $2 billion over past 40 years **

** ****Estimating environmental cost:**
** ****initial value?**
** ****discount rates?**
** ****shape of loss function?**

## Calls for Action

** ****1960s-1970s: USFWS, LDWF **

** ****1998 Formal recognition under Coast 2050**

** ****1980s-1990s : Environmental groups**

## Calls for Action

*** ******a process that will result in the timely ***
***closure of the MRGO”***
**St. Bernard Parish Council Resolution**
**December 1998**

**Calls for Action**

## What does it mean to close the MRGO?

** ****Closing ******** Closing**

** ****Series of mitigation and restoration proposals **

** ****Halting of dredging **

** ****Channel maintenance for fishermen & boaters **

** “****Close” channel to vessels > 12’ draft **

## Closing the MRGO

**Closing the MRGO**

## Closing the MRGO

**Closing the MRGO**

## Closing the MRGO

## MRGO Restoration

## A Diversion for MRGO?

**A Diversion for MRGO?**

## What has been done?

** ****Speed reductions proposed **

** ****Rock-buttressed dredge spoil **

**What has been done?**

** ****Formation of MRGO Policy Committee **

## Future Considerations

***“...******To revitalize the process for a plan to modify the MRGO, the key is to ***
***expedite the Re-evaluation study...”***
**MRGO Policy Committee**
**Status Report 2000**

## Future Considerations

** ****Consensus for downsizing the MRGO**
** ****Address displacement of navigation **
** ****Port of New Orleans expansion**
** ****Millenium Port**

** ****USACE Re-evaluation Study of MRGO **
** ****Hinges economic feasibility for **_**navigation**_** **

** *****How long?***

## A Similar Effort?                          The Cross Florida Barge Canal

** **_**Goal**_**: Connect Atlantic to Gulf via 107 miles of channel**

** ****1971: Nixon halts construction - calls for re-evaluation**

** ****1986: Congress deauthorizes project**

** ****1990: Project lands revert back to Florida**

** ****2001: Restoration/mitigation debate ongoing**

## The MRGO has accelerated the rate of coastal degradation in St. Bernard

**Estimated 20,000 acres lost and 20,000 transitioned toward higher salinity**

**Displacement and reductions of fisheries and wildlife**

**Economic growth less than expected**

**Summary and Conclusions**

## Consensus for “closure” exists

**Beyond the conceptual stage: **
**Formation of MRGO policy committee**
** ****Corps Re-evaluation study**
**Negotiations with shipping industry**

**High maintenance, environmental costs**

**Summary and Conclusions**

**  ****More realistic time horizons needed**

**  ****Closing ******** Closing**

## Acknowledgements

**Acknowledgements**