Summary and Conclusions: The Cost of Inaction and the Need for Urgency

Abstract

The delta process is inherently dynamic, but no one alive today has ever witnessed a healthy period of stability through offsetting growth and decay. Consequently, only a full scientific understanding of how the Mississippi delta once formed and functioned under natural conditions can guide future restoration efforts. As the foregoing essays argue, living on the Delta means living with change. They present strong evidence that sediment diversions designed to restore wetlands in the Mississippi River delta will be effective and beneficial. Similarly, they argue that large-scale restoration will shift the locations of the major fisheries, but may represent the only hope of maintaining sustainable fisheries. And they explain why the system of levees and flood protection that currently provides crucial protection for human habitation must to be supplemented by extensive wetland regrowth. Additionally, they describe how the highly dynamic and changing coast is also impacted by subsidence, climate change, and sea level rise. Finally, they show that increasing energy costs will likely limit what can be done. Only by honestly examining the full range of challenges, and determining the best practices for adaptation, can policy-makers formulate informed decisions about the future of the Delta. We hope this book can make a substantial contribution to the success of this important process.