As a  Restore the Mississippi River Delta Coalition member, Audubon partners with the National Wildlife Federation, the Environmental Defense Fund, Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, and Pontchartrain Conservancy to advance a just, climate-resilient coast where people and nature thrive. For Audubon, this is a priority as the Mississippi River Delta ecosystem and coastal Louisiana support 100 million migratory, nesting, and wintering birds. Protecting and restoring this vital habitat is crucial to the health and survival of many of these species.  

What's the problem? 

Louisiana's coastline—including the incredibly valuable and productive Mississippi River Delta—is vanishing alarmingly. Every 100 minutes, a football field of land disappears into the Gulf of Mexico. This coastal land loss is a crisis of national importance, as it affects people, wildlife, and jobs across the region and throughout the United States. Continued loss of coastal wetlands increases our exposure to damage from hurricanes, storm surges, and other disasters. Through its Coastal Master Plan, the state has committed to improving the protection and restoration of our coast through sound, science-based solutions. 

What's the solution? 

Louisiana has the plan to address this land loss crisis and implement solutions that can ensure the long-term survival of our region. In the aftermath of the devastation brought by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Louisiana's Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) created the state's Coastal Master Plan to enhance its people's long-term protection and restore its disappearing coast. The plan comprises long-lasting, science-based solutions for addressing the root causes of land loss and implementing projects to build and sustain land across the Louisiana coast. CPRA implements this plan with the governor's office, state legislature, and other state and federal agencies. Louisiana needs leaders who will be a voice for coastal restoration and who support the Coastal Master Plan process. Want to know more? Learn more about the restoration projects that will help restore the Mississippi River Delta. How can coastal restoration become a reality? 

There is no one-size-fits-all solution to restoration. Instead, it requires a combination of strategies and projects working in tandem to build new and sustain existing wetlands along Louisiana's coast. Some of these projects include reconnecting the Mississippi River to its delta through land-building sediment diversions, strategically using dredged sediment to build and sustain wetlands and barrier islands, and constructing salinity control measures to prevent saltwater intrusion and improve the health of our basins. These coastal restoration projects not only build new land, but they also help protect cities, communities, and infrastructure; support fisheries; and bolster the economy of Louisiana and the entire nation that depends on the health of the Mississippi River Delta. Want to know more? Stay up to date on the latest coastal restoration news and projects.  

Learn more at MississippiRiverDelta.org. Sign up for our email list and connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.