A natural embankment that parallels the course of a river or bayou. A natural levee is built up over time by seasonal flooding of uncontained rivers and bayous. A natural levee is generally shorter and broader than an artificial levee.

The process of sinking or settling of a land surface because of natural or artificial causes. In Louisiana subsidence is a natural process that occurs after sediments deposited by a flood begin to dry out and settle. Under natural conditions, subsidence is balanced by the deposition of new sediments with each flood event. Because of flood control h [..]

An abnormal rise in sea level accompanying a hurricane or other intense storm, and whose height is the difference between the observed level of the sea surface during the storm and normal sea level.

A generally wet, wooded area where standing water occurs for at least part of the year. In Louisiana, swamps are often characterized by the presence of bald cypress and tupelo-gum trees and almost always occur in areas where freshwater is dominant.

The amount of dissolved salt in the water. Salinity is important because it controls what type of plants can grow, or what types of animals can exist, in a given area. Salt marsh for example grows in water closest to Gulf waters with a high salinity, brackish marsh in the next landward zone followed by fresh marsh and swamps. If the salinity in an [..]

Any action taken that physically intervenes with the process of coastal erosion. Restoration can involve the direct creation of new land through importing new sand and other sediments, stabilize land through the planting of wetland vegetation, or it can indirectly restore land by working with natural processes such as controlled flooding through ri [..]

A coalition of federal and state agencies that work together to oversee a restoration program such as CWPPRA and the LCA. The complexity of technical and management issues faced in coastal restoration calls for a broad range of skills. Therefore, the task force is seen as a superior to a single agency for effective management of this complex issue.

Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (aka MRGO, Mr. GO). The MRGO is a shipping canal that provides an alternate route from the Gulf of Mexico to the Port of New Orleans. It was dredged through Plaquemines and St. Bernard Parishes in the 1960’s. The MRGO is a controversial feature of the Louisiana landscape as it is blamed for much coastal degradation. Su [..]

A marsh is a type of freshwater, brackish water or saltwater wetland that is found along rivers, pond, lakes and coasts. Marsh plants grow up out of the water. Typically marshes are composed of grass-like herbaceous plant communities.

A levee (from the French for "raised") is a natural or artificial embankment, usually earthen, which parallels the course of a river. Usually the term levee in Louisiana implies a man made feature constructed for the purpose of flood control.