The deepwater Gulf of Mexico has emerged as the country s most significant oil and gas province, and some estimates say within the next four to five years as much as 30 percent of the country s total domestic output will originate from the Gulf of Mexico. Market analysts predict this intense level of exploration could last 10 years. The success of Louisiana s oil and gas industry contributes billions to the state and national economies every year. Nearly 4,000 vendors serve offshore operations and employ 55,000 people, and more than 30,000 are employed offshore. Louisiana s oil and gas industry has made multi-billion dollar investments in oil exploration throughout the coastal wetlands.
Several factors contribute to Louisiana s burgeoning wetlands problem.
Some of the most prominent are explained briefly below. Levees Levees confine the Mississippi River to its current path, preventing the annual spring flooding that deposited invaluable sediment and nutrients to wetlands. Channeling Over the last 200 years, industry and residents alike have cut numerous channels and canals through the wetlands for transportation and oil exploration. These channels provide a ready pathway for tidal exchange and the movement of unnatural water patterns, ultimately increasing erosion and wetlands demise. Rising Sea Level A world-wide rise in sea level has been occurring for the last several decades.