In the next 10 years, a part of Louisiana as large as San Diego may vanish into the sea 1 . A loss of revenue, a loss of beauty, a loss of Louisiana. Over 35 square miles of valuable wetlands are washed away each year by coastal erosion 2 .
Coastal erosion is caused by a combination of natural processes and human interference.
It is not an incurable malaise, though, and steps are being taken reclaim what has been already lost and to prevent more of Louisiana from washing away. Louisiana's coast has been eroding and growing in alternating patterns for thousands of years. At the core of the process is the Mississippi River, and the rich silt it carries from the continental watershed. Before 20 th century humans began to interfere with the river's flow, the Mississippi kept the dynamic process in balance. The process starts when the river carries silt to its delta.