Taming the Mississippi, Part 2: Riverine Processes

Part 1: Wetlands Perceptions
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The whole point of this series is to discuss all the ways the Mississippi and coastal Louisiana has been impacted by everything in the past to create the current situation. You really can't talk about the Mississippi River and ignore the wetlands, and vice versa. One created the other, and they are interconnected, interdependent, and yet so very very different.

But for this Part 2, I want to focus on riverine processes. 

Rivers have a few basic parts: the headwaters, the channel, and the mouth. 

Rivers are born from their headwaters, and continue their journey from there. The mighty Mississippi springs to life from a lazy little outflow of Lake Itasca in Minnesota, and slowly winds through some beautiful wetlands as it begins its long meandering journey to the Gulf of Mexico. Some rivers start from glacial melt, underground springs, or as a branch from other rivers (these are called distributaries). 

The mouth of the river is where deltas often form. Not every river creates a delta, but the Mississippi does/did, and an expansive one at that. We often call it the birdsfoot delta, in that the delta is a bit far away from the main portion of the coast and looks like a leg and bird foot. The Atchafalaya River (a significant distributary of the Mississippi) has a beautiful delta that is healthy and growing and wonderful.

The flow of the river carves out the channel, and the main body of water often stays in that channel. However, during flood stages, the river may swell up and overtop its natural banks and water will spread out along the floodplain. Hence why it's called a floodplain - it's literally the flat(ish) areas where flood waters spread out. During flood stage, waters spread out and slow down, and drop sediment. Coarser sediments that were suspended in the water column drop out first because they are heavier. So sands drop out first, and clays last. So then you end up with a natural levee along the river bank.

Source: Should I trust that levee?

Since we're talking about the Mississippi, here's an example of that:

There is no "original" channel of the Mississippi River. Not really. It has meandered all over the place for most of its length. But, in Baton Rouge, it's moved east and west of its current location. In one of those more easterly renditions, it created a natural levee that is still visible today. And most people probably have no idea. Highland Road, which runs through the LSU campus, is a natural ridge. It is an old natural levee of the Mississippi River. If you live around here, next time you drive across Highland Road from east to west, and notice how the land drops off on the western side as you head towards the river. These days, the river is contained in levees a mile or more away from there,  so no longer uses that natural feature.

Within the water column in the river channel, rivers can carry many different things - physical debris, sediment, nutrients, flood water, pollutants, and fresh water or salt water. These can all have different effects at different parts of the system.

So rivers carry sediment in some capacity, and in that vein they can cause erosion and deposition along the channel. That's why river channels move over time, or sandbars shift back and forth, and why shallow rivers used for navigation need to be dredged. The sediment is ever moving.

I literally cannot have said it more clearly myself, so here is how deltaic wetlands are formed:

"Deltaic formation begins as sediment laden river water reaches the ocean and slows down causing much of the sediment to drop out of suspension. Over time this accumulation of sediment leads to the formation of bars and shoals that further divert the water, causing increased deposition. Flooding causes increased sediment loss, leading to the formation bars and shoals extending above sea level. This newly-formed land is colonized with vegetation, which leads to further deposition and speeds up the land-growing process. Floating mats of vegetation form causing the water flow to slow and drainage becomes sluggish. The large amounts of vegetation and low flow cause anaerobic conditions to form." [source: Wetland Formation]

Over time, these wetlands are self fulfilling. Wetlands capture sediment, and in turn build more wetlands. It's a beautiful system. This process is how southeastern Louisiana's wetlands were formed. As the Mississippi River swung back and forth over thousands of years (also known as avulsion), this process repeated over and over across many former deltas. What's left today is a vast system of coastal wetlands [which has it's own set of problems, to be discussed in a future part].

The river has been pretty settled in the current channel for a few thousand years now, and would love to switch course (if rivers had emotions). However, we have pretty effectively captured the Mississippi and forced it to stay on its course to our own liking. I'll discuss this more in depth in Part 4.

Stay tuned for Part 3, where I discuss all the values (economic, recreational, societal, environmental, and otherwise) of these coastal wetlands that were created by the Mighty Mississippi!

Note: 

For the purposes of this series, the lower Mississippi and how it has formed the coastal wetlands of Louisiana are the main focus. The channel has shifted over time above Baton Rouge and plenty between there and Cape Girardeau (see the Fisk maps from 1944). I also acknowledge that different sections of the river have different challenges and benefits. 

Additional Information and Sources: 
River National Geographic, accessed 1/1/2019
Should I trust that levee? Missouri S&T University, accessed 1/9/2019
Harold Fisk 1944 Maps Radial Cartography, accessed 1/9/2019
Wetland Formation accessed 1/9/2019
Mississippi Delta Lobes Wikimedia, accessed 1/9/2019
Mississippi River Delta Wikipedia, accessed 1/9/2019
How the Delta formed Restore, accessed 1/9/2019

Shopping Ban: Month 3 Update

It has now been 3 months since I started the shopping ban on 1 October 2018.
Parameters of my shopping ban
Month 1 Update
Month 2 Update

December was a weird month. I was overseas for ~2 weeks, in the field for another week, and then it was Christmas week, and also the federal government shutdown started. So quite a lot happened actually. However despite all that I did a really good job with my shopping ban and stayed within the parameters!

Things I purchased in December:
- Basic necessity toiletries - lotion, deodorant, contact solution
- 3 magnets while in London - allowed as travel souvenirs
- 1 book while in London - books when abroad are also allowed, as I like to buy a book from the places I travel. I bought Milkman, which one the 2018 Man Booker prize and it wasn't available at my local library. Also books are far cheaper in the UK than in the US and it was only £9.
- Household items - cleaning spray, toilet paper 
- Gifts for my parents and friends (gifts are also allowed)

So I did good!

My mom's birthday was also in December and I struggled with what to give her as a gift. So I ended up buying her 3 used books, all with thought behind them. I bought her 2 books that I really enjoy and think she would, and 1 that is a genre she likes but a Norwegian author (instead of an American author). So a gift, but also not buying new items since that's not necessary, and also they were bought at my local bookstore so bonus points for shopping locally.

In previous years I had made desktop calendars for family/friends as a gift. It's a relatively easy gift, and I'd use photos I'd taken during the year, which my family enjoyed. But this year it felt wasteful. It felt like burdening someone with something they will have to contend with in a year. Or feel the need to hang onto since it's semi-personal. So instead I opted to not give that gift anymore. I think a few people might have been disappointed but c'est la vie.

My temptations the last month have been items for a cause. I haven't given in but I've definitely been tempted. For example, I love what Nurdle in the Rough is doing! Her jewelry is beautiful, it's made from ocean plastics she collects and repurposes, and the metals are recycled. And I definitely want something by her and to support her on her mission. There are other shops and artists I love but that's one of my favorites.

Perhaps after the 6 months I can modify my rules to include supporting causes. That's something to think about during the rest of the first stage, which concludes in March.

Of the 5 things on my approved shopping list, I have only purchased 1 of them. Or well, from 1 category. I've purchased all but 1 thing I need for the NOLS course but have yet to purchase anything else on my list. Clearly none of these were items I have really needed!

I've also gone through my clothing another time and removed a few more things that I haven't worn since the first major purge. I think this will be a continuous cycle honestly until I'm wearing everything I own regularly. I can only wear and enjoy so much clothing so I'm still paring it all down.

On to 2019! I think this year will be a year of knowledge, and I'm continuing to learn a lot about myself, my habits, and my place in the world through this shopping ban.

The Whims of Men

In the wee hours of the morning, the federal government shutdown. It's being described as simply a partial shutdown, and I suppose that's true only because 9 of the 15 Cabinet level departments are closing, and not all 15 (DOJ, the military, etc are all funded in a previous bill). but it minimizes the disastrous effects for people, recreation, the outdoors, and public lands.

The Department of the Interior is now closed.

That includes the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the National Park Service (NPS), the US Geological Survey (USGS),  the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to name a few big agencies with the Interior umbrella.  The US Forest Service (within the Department of Agriculture) is also closed.

For the general public, this means that public lands are no longer open. And if there are areas that remain accessible, there are no visitor services or staff available. Visitor centers, bathrooms, campgrounds, and the like are all closed.

But more importantly in my mind, is that all operations for management, restoration, and conservation are now interrupted because of the whims of politicians.

National wildlife refuges, which often support wintering waterfowl and waterbird populations, are managed to provide optimal conditions for these animals and have to cease management operations.

The US Forest Service, which manages national forests and provides the fire response team for public lands, is closed. All management operations are suspended.

Coastal restoration projects and management at many of the coastal NWRs must stop. These places are often highly dynamic and fluctuate daily and all efforts are stopped.

These are just a few examples. There is much field research being conducted on federal property, by federal employees, contractors, grad students, and nonprofit organizations.

The longterm effects of the shutdown may ultimately be minimal, but we don't know that to be true yet. Interrupting research, management, and conservation activities will have ramifications. It's not as flashy as "the national parks are closed" headlines but in reality I think it's the more important aspect of this. We'll likely never know how the government shutdown affected individual projects but from my own experience, even a week or two interruption in data collection can have disastrous effects for any study.

Operating on a series of continuing resolutions is no way to operate a budget. Budgeting 101 is to have a plan LONG in advance. So not only do we need a plan now, to get back on track and to continue conservation efforts and land management, but we need a longterm plan for the future too.

Taming the Mississippi, Part 1: Wetlands Perceptions

When I wrote my CRMS post recently, I started to fully realize just how many modifications people have made to the Mississippi River's floodplain. Basically everywhere has been modified in some way to meet human's perceived needs. The river has been dammed, leveed, channeled, and diverted.

The environmental perspective in North America has very distinct time periods: native/indigenous peoples, colonial period, the agriculture boom, and environmentalism. Wetlands and people both worldwide, and the interactions probably follow similar lines throughout history. However I'm going to focus on North America first, then specifically around the Mississippi River ultimately.


Native/Indigenous Peoples and Wetland Use
Wetlands and indigenous people are not a solely North American existence. This interaction can be found worldwide.

In Australia, wetlands are central to indigenous lives. "Wetlands have significance as ceremonial and initiation sites, traditional hunting and gathering grounds and as boundary markers." [source] Wetlands are revered and respected, but also utilized. They know that wetlands are not without use and incorporated aspects of wetland plants and animals into everyday life. "Almost all wetland plants and animals have some form of traditional use as food, fibre, containers, tools, weapons, transport, shelter and medicine. Many wetland species have significance as totems, symbols that acknowledge specific birds, animals, rocks or flora species, and are considered sacred by their owners." [source]

Little has been written about Native Americans and wetlands, historically. But in general, the native people have a great respect for the natural world and view life as being a part of the natural world - to live among nature, not command nature. This mentality later appears as a major part of Aldo Leopold's Land Ethics.

In coastal Louisiana specifically, where this tale will ultimately wind up, Native Americans have a long standing history with wetlands. By a default in geography if nothing else. The bounty of wetlands enabled a subsistence lifestyle for natives. Resources are plentiful - fish, crabs, shrimp, oysters, nutria (now), alligators, turtles, muskrat, otter, and waterfowl.

Today, there are 4 federally recognized tribes remaining: Chitimacha Tribe, Jena Band of Choctaw, Coushatta Tribe, Tunica-Biloxi Indian Tribe [source]. But not all tribes are federally recognized and many of them live in the coastal wetlands they've always called home. They include the United Houma Nation, the Pointe-au-Chien tribe, and and the Isle de Jean Charles Band of the Biloxi-Chitimacha-Choctaw tribe. Of these only the United Houma Nation is even recognized by the state of Louisiana. They've formed the First People's Conservation Council. We will come back to these dilemma in future parts of this series.


Wetlands during the Colonial Period
Starting in the early 1600s, settlers from Europe starting arriving on the shores of the future United States and Canada. Powerful European countries tried to acquire land and get colonies settled to secure their place on the new continent, and thus the colonies and future countries were started.

People viewed wetlands as altogether undesirable. "During the 1700's, wetlands were regarded as swampy lands that bred diseases, restricted overland travel, impeded the production of food and fiber, and generally were not useful for frontier survival." [source]

The primary environmental perspective in that time frame was that land was meant to be used by people, and that humans should exert control over their environment. This is in direct opposition to Native Americans' respectful treatment and coexistence. So because wetlands had no economic value they could see, hindered travel and food production, and harbored disease - they had to go.

So many wetlands in this time period were drained, filled, and converted into farmland across the fledgling country. Settlers moved down the east coast into river valleys doing this all over the land. By the 1780s colonizers were as far south as Georgia and heading west. The Louisiana purchase in 1803 greatly expanded the size of the new United States. Land was acquired further and further westward and people migrated west as well. The pattern continued - land was acquired, people migrated, wetlands were destroyed.

This destruction of wetlands by filling and draining was often described as "reclamation" to make it sound good, honorable, and legitimate. Reclamation: "the reclaiming of desert, marshy, or submerged areas or other wasteland for cultivation or other use." [source]. And probably at the time, it did seem good, honorable, and legitimate. But through the lens of 2018 environmental issues it seems horribly irresponsible.


Wetlands versus Agriculture
As lands were settled, wetlands were converted from what they perceived to be useless land into usable farm land. Starting in the mid 1800s technical advances allowed for more widespread wetland conversions. Large navigation canals were dug, smaller natural waterways were dredged, and larger farm equipment was developed to be pulled behind horses.

In the midst of all this, the US had the Civil War (1861-1865). The ability to move large equipment across/through wetlands was a problem so the focus became on engineering solutions for transportation. This resulted in railroads expanding across the country, giving access to even more land previously difficult to reach. Wetlands now were even more accessible for conversion or "reclamation". The prairie potholes in the Midwest, bottomland forests in the Mississippi River Valley, delta marshlands of Louisiana, gulf plains of Texas, and swamps of Ohio and Virginia were just a few of the places now at risk.

Agriculture continued to expand its impact, and feeding the growing population was necessary. Mechanized equipment was developed, thanks to the combustion engine, and started to become widespread. This trend continues steadily until the mid 20th century.

"By the 1960's, most political, financial, and institutional incentives to drain or destroy wetlands were in place. The Federal Government encouraged land drainage and wetland destruction through a variety of legislative and policy instruments." [source]

This wholesale destruction of wetlands at the time probably seemed productive and progressive to some, but an environmental movement had begun by the early 1900s.


The Rebirth of Environmentalism
I say rebirth, because this concept is originally native. Immigrants did not develop this mindset, but came around to it later after realizing the error of their controlling ways. The rebirth of widespread environmentalism and conservation started in the 1850s, at the same time as agricultural expansion was hitting its peak. As land was converted, more people because concerned about the environmental detriments and advocated for conservation of these lands. And thus the environmental movement was reborn.

The environmentalism movement really got under way through the prowess and foresight of conservation powerhouses: John Muir, Theodore Roosevelt, Gifford Pinchot, John Wesley Powell, Henry David Thoreau, George Perkins Marsh, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and George Bird Grinnell. Each of them in their own way, as well as many others, contributed early on to the conservation movement. John Muir created the Sierra Club, Thoreau wrote Walden, Roosevelt founded the Boone and Crockett Club, Grinnell founded the Audubon Society, Powell served as the 2nd director of the US Geological Survey and spearheaded many expeditions, and Pinchot is widely considered the father of American forestry.

It all culminated with Theodore Roosevelt becoming president in 1901.

TR was remarkable in a lot of ways, but with him the conservation movement because highly visible. It was no longer John Muir wandering the woods with a donkey writing articles for others to read, but now the most powerful person in the country was actively making progressive environmental decisions.

"The conservationists, led by future President Theodore Roosevelt and his close ally George Bird Grinnell, were motivated by the wanton waste that was taking place at the hand of market forces, including logging and hunting." Habitats were destroyed, species were tottering on the brink of extinction, resources were being wasted, and they decided that the country needed "a long-term plan devised by national experts to maximize the long-term economic benefits of natural resources" [source].

Roosevelt established the US Forest Service, created 5 National Parks, signed the 1906 Antiquities Act, created 51 bird reserves, 4 game preserves, and 150 national forests. Ultimately Roosevelt protected 230,000,000 acres [source] for the future and for preservation and conservation both. 

There's still a conflict between preservation and conservation, which is why we have both the US Forest Service and the US National Park Service. "Whereas conservationists wanted regulated use of forest lands for both public activities and commercial endeavors, preservationists wanted forest to be preserved for natural beauty, scientific study and recreation. The differences continue to the modern era, with sustainable harvest and multiple-use the major focus of the U.S. Forest Service and recreation emphasized by the National Park Service." [source]

In 1962, Rachel Carson published Silent Spring. [Coincidentally, this is the December Book of the Month if you want to join our book club!] "Carson inspired an environmental revolution, helping to root the modern conservation movement in a scientific foundation." [source] After this historic moment, a slew of important things were created:

-1968 Wild and Scenic Rivers Act
-National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
-the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
-the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
-Earth Day
-1972 Clean Water Act
-Marine Mammal Protection Act
-Coastal Zone Management Act
-Endangered Species Act
-DDT banned in 1972
-Wilderness Act of 1964

These days, the problems facing conservation and preservation of resources are still many and varied. "For the modern era, the U.S. Forest Service has noted three important aspects of the conservation movement: the climate change, water issues, and the education of the public on conservation of the natural environment, especially among children." [source]

Coastal Louisiana benefits from many of the laws and agencies that were created in the modern area. National Wildlife Refuges (like Bayou Sauvage and Big Branch NWRs) encompass and protect wetlands, the Endangered Species Act helps Louisiana save species (such as the Brown Pelican, the state bird), and the EPA has cleaned waterways (like Bayou Bonfouca Superfund Site in Slidell LA).

The battle between resources (aka wetlands) and industry (aka oil and gas) still rages to this day. Conflicts abound between scientists, politicians, fishermen, natives, conservationists, and everyone in between. The Coastal Master Plan is a science based plan for coastal wetlands restoration and conservation. In the absence of still functioning natural processes, it relies heavily on construction and management of projects to replicate natural conditions. So wetlands while once viewed as evil and usless, are now seen for the valuable ecosystem they are.

Coming next: Part 2: The value of wetlands!


Sources & Additional Reading:
When Dismal Swamps Became Priceless Wetlands American Heritage, 1994

History of Wetlands in the Conterminous United States US Geological Survey

Wetlands and Indigenous values Australian Government, Department of the Environment

Native American tribe to relocate from Louisiana coast as sea levels rise Reuters, 3/17/2016

The Cultural Impact of Eroding Wetlands Color Lines, 11/18/2009

Tribal Wetland Program Highlights US Environmental Protection Agency, March 2000

Native American Tribes of Louisiana native-languages.org, accessed 11/30/2018

On the Louisiana Coast, A Native Community Sinks Slowly into the Sea Yale Environment 360, 3/15/2018

The Historic Indian Tribes Of Louisiana Frenchcreoles.com, accessed 11/30/2018

Reclaiming native ground: Can Louisiana’s tribes restore their traditional diets as waters rise? FERN, 2/9/2017

These Native American Tribes Are Fighting To Stop Their Land From Literally Disappearing Think Progress, 1/22/2015

Louisiana tribes say federal recognition will help to face threat of climate change NOLA.com, 7/26/2018

Louisiana’s Pointe-au-Chien Tribe Struggles to Preserve Its Way of Life Huffington Post, 6/16/2013

Down the Bayou: Notes on Cultural Adaptation in the Native American Community of Pointe-au-Chien, Louisiana Louisiana Folklife, 2013

'High risk' Native American village on Grand Bayou wants government help to stay as land disappears The Advocate, 12/27/2016

Vulnerability of Coastal Louisiana Tribes in a Climate Change Context Northern Arizona University, 2012

Conservation in the United States Wikipedia

Soll on Badger, 'A Natural History of Quiet Waters: Swamps and Wetlands of the Mid-Atlantic Coast'

Conservation movement Wikipedia

Shopping Ban: Month 2 Update

It has been 2 months since I started my shopping ban! November has been interesting too. I stayed under my two week budgets, did not purge any items, contemplated ethical zero-waste gifts for holidays, and purchased a few things on my approved shopping list.

I get disgusted by the level of consumerism, and the peak worst is Black Friday. So I did not participate. Not that I ever participate, but I was even more aware of it this year than previously. And I've been striving to purchase things in the best way possible when required.

So I did purchase 2 clothing items for my upcoming NOLS course that are required and that I did not own. I needed baselayer bottoms and a long sleeved top that were wool or synthetic. So I went ahead and purchased them this month.

But the clever part is that I bought them from REI's Used Gear Store! So while I did buy 2 things from my approved list, I bought used items. They look brand new though and are perfect and I only spent $50 total, when new that would have cost me closer to $100. Also they are multi purpose because I will use the baselayer bottoms throughout the winter for field work, and wear the wool shirt regularly as it's very comfortable. Success!

I also purchased a few gifts for upcoming celebrations, and did it in a zero waste manner. I was able to use the ethical hierarchy of gift giving to come up with some clever ideas for friends and family. I focused on experiences, and did not buy anything new when I did buy an object. Also success!

Also I put used books on my allowed shopping list, because I run the Outdoor Conservation Book Club and some of the books I've chosen are hard to come by or have long wait lists at the library. So I purchased 5 conservation books online from Thriftbooks! These books are all for the OC book club or recommended reading ahead of the NOLS course.

- Outdoor Leadership, by John Graham [NOLS]
- Sea Change, by Sylvia Earle [OC Book Club]
- Wilderness and the American Mind [NOLS]
- The Sixth Extinction [OC Book Club]
- How Remarkable Women Lead [NOLS]

I also this month acquired a few other used books. A handful of books came from a friend who was donating boxes to Goodwill, so I picked a few out to take. And I acquired one book that was originally purchased as a gift, but the dog ate the cover, so it's mine now and the gift version has been replaced with another used book.

Also this month, there was 1 flaw in my plan. Winter. We had previously gotten a new, larger bed and never bought any kind of comforter or quilt for it. And winter is coming and it's getting colder, and dogs aren't exactly enough warmth to get us through the winter. So I had to purchase a new quilt for our new bed, but that's a necessity I just didn't foresee.

There's one other thing I purchased: Fabric scraps from Hobby Lobby to make into tissues. I had run out of throwaway tissues, and in the spirit of zero waste, did not buy a new box. Instead I had cut up some of my thinner and softer cleaning cloths (which were already scraps of old clothes) to use as tissues. But I didn't have enough. I scoured the house looking for fabric I could turn into tissues but no luck. So I spent $9 and bought a bundle of cotton squares with cute woodland creatures on them to use as tissues. They're reusable, washable, and will last for ages. I classified this as toiletries, but thought my solution was clever!

Everything else has gone swimmingly. I'm still unsubscribing from marketing emails when I get them, actively being aware of impulses, and thinking about the impact of all of my purchases. It sounds overwhelming but it's really refreshing.

On to Month 3!