Restoring the Mississippi River Delta

"The largest single ecosystem restoration project in U.S. history and a monumental milestone decades in the making . . . will mimic natural land-building processes by reconnecting the Mississippi River to its surrounding wetlands, creating vital habitat for wildlife and a crucial buffer for coastal communities against increasing threats from storm surge. The sediment diversion is predicted to restore up to 27 square miles (17,000 acres) of wetlands in the Barataria Basin and is designed to work with other restoration projects in the outfall area, creating the potential for enhancing hundreds of acres of restored wetlands in total. Using the river to restore Louisiana’s coast has long been one of Restore the Mississippi River Delta’s primary goals. The coalition of national and local conservation organizations comprised of the National Wildlife Federation, Environmental Defense Fund, National Audubon Society, Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana and Pontchartrain Conservancy . . . This project addresses real-time, pressing climate challenges and illustrates how – through our collective effort and unwavering commitment – we can forge a path toward a more resilient and sustainable future.”