Publications:
Fact Cards
 The
Barataria-Terrebonne Estuaries lie at the foot of the
Mississippi River drainage basin and contain more coastal
wetlands than any other estuary in the United States.
In fact, Louisiana's 3.5 million acres of coastal wetlands
represent about 40 percent of all coastal wetlands in
the continental US. The area's wetlands and barrier islands
protect the communities of south Louisiana from hurricanes,
storms, and floodwaters. Civilization in the Barataria-Terrebonne
Estuaries dates from Native Americans times. Today, the
region sustains the oldest French-speaking culture in
America and over 600,000 residents.
Facts About the Estuary
- Three
of America's "top ten" highest volume ports
are located here, the Ports of Baton Rouge, South
Louisiana and New Orleans.
- Harvested
seafood had an estimated value of more than $220 million
in 1998 and more than 10,000 jobs a year rely on the
commercial fishing industry.
- Over
730 species of birds (there are 100 active bald eagle
nests in the area), finfish, shellfish, reptiles,
amphibians and mammals, including several that are
threatened or endangered, spend all or part of their
life cycle in the estuary.
- The
estuary contains 792,175 acres of forested wetlands
and 371,574 acres of
freshwater marshes.
- The
state sold 353,749 freshwater and saltwater recreational
fishing licenses worth more than $324 million in fiscal
year 1998-99.
- Estuary
area residents leased out over 850,000 acres for hunting
purposes in 1998, garnering $2.9 million in the process.
Health
of the Estuary
- Twenty-two
square miles of wetlands are lost annually.
- Wetland
losses along the Louisiana Coast are so pronounced
that some Barataria-Terrebonne towns will require
an alternative freshwater source by the year 2013.
Scientists predict that beach erosion rates could
reach 120 feet in years with hurricanes.
- By
the year 2040, if nothing is done to curb the current
rate of erosion, the Gulf of Mexico will have moved
closer to New Orleans and several towns will be under
water.
- Most
of the region's land area formed over the last 10,000
years; most of the land loss has occurred in the last
100.
- Habitat
loss and changes, the introduction of toxins, and
over-harvesting have affected the populations of the
brown pelican, American alligator, bald eagle and
snapping turtle.
Accomplishments
of the Estuary Program
- Supports
the Bayou Camps Program that develops awareness and
interest among students in environmental issues by
providing over 500 K-8 students with classroom and
field experience.
- In
1997, Coast 2050 was initiated as a collective effort
among federal and Louisiana agencies "to develop
a technically sound strategic plan to sustain coastal
resources and provide an integrated multiple-use approach
to ecosystem management."
- Between
January 1996 and June 1998, approximately 2,495 new
individual sewage disposal systems for residences
and camps were installed in Barataria-Terrebonne parishes.
- Leveraged
funding from a diverse set of sources. It is estimated
that, between 1996 and 1999, $1,094,573 of USEPA Section
320 funds and approximately $82,180,000 from other
sources was secured to implement the Management Plan.
For
Viewing and Printing:
Before printing one or more of these National
Estuary Program files,
check out each of their text only versions for
quick viewing.
To view each of the PDF versions, you will need Adobe
Acrobat Reader software, which can be downloaded FREE
from Adobe's site through a direct link.
|
|
