Wetland Restoration-Foundation of Everything

Bayou Bienvenue Cypress Triangle-a completely destroyed wetland.



Lock on the Industrial Canal



Industrial Canal-Lower 9th side.



The Levee at Bayou Bienvenue Cypress Triangle.

So much of what needs to happen here depends on healthy wetlands. Without that foundation none of it will work in the long term. All politics aside, this is probably the most important problem to fix.



Spartina awaiting wetland planting
in the nursery at Common Ground.

Today I visited The Bayou Bienvenue Cypress Triangle. This is located on the line between Orleans and St. Bernard parish -north of L9. This was a thriving Cypress forest less than 20 years ago.

See video

The situation is this. in the late 60’s a canal called The Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet Canal (also known as MRGO, MR-GO or “Mr. Go”) was built for a shorter shipping route into New Orleans rather than take the Mississippi River which twists and turns. The problem is that the Gulf flows into it and brings salt water into inland fresh water. The wetlands make the transition between salt and non salt water. Inland plants don’t tolerate salt. Cypress trees are salt tolerant but not enough to withstand the salt that is coming in now. The lower 9th was once a cypress swamp.

Long-time Lower Nine residents remember a time before the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet flooded the bayou with saltwater and killed the native cypress trees and swamp just north of the Lower Nine. They remember when there was more dry land than wet.

There was a lot of fishing and social activity on the bayou. When the steel levee went up around the bayou after Hurricane Betsy it separated the bayou from the community.

Work done by Hassam Mahriqui in a computer simulation at Louisiana State University’s Hurricane Center of MR-GO during Katrina found that it had raised the storm surge. Three months before Katrina, Mashriqui, a storm surge expert, called MR-GO a “critical and fundamental flaw” in the Corps’ hurricane defenses, a “Trojan Horse” that could amplify storm surges 20 to 40 percent. Following the storm, an engineering investigation and computer modelling showed that the outlet intensified the initial surge by 20 percent, raised the height of the wall of water about three feet, and increased the velocity of the surge from 3 feet per second (0.9 m/s) to 8 feet per second (2.4 m/s) in the funnel. Mashriqui believes this contributed to the scouring that undermined the levees and flood walls along the outlet and Industrial Canal. “Without MRGO, the flooding would have been much less,” he said. “The levees might have overtopped, but they wouldn’t have been washed away.”

St. Bernard Parish insists that only total closure can restore the wetlands destroyed by the MRGO. The plan proposed by the State of Louisiana also calls for the complete closure of the MRGO.





Barges in the Industrial Canal



Alligator in some really dirty garbage filled water in
some sort of catchment system from the Industrial Canal.

MISCELLANEOUS NEW ORLEANS SCENES



New modular shotgun for sale in L9





There is so so so much of this...and worse



Something was on fire here. It is not unusual to see a lot of burnt out buildings.



Here is a shot of the memorial built on the meridian of Claiborne which is the main road through the Lower 9th. It was built hastily before a Bush visit. Who would ever go here? Its really awful and it is the only place the city mows in L9-everything else is mowed by volunteers or residents.



yep

See ya tomorrow...S

Glass Half Full

The city of New Orleans sits to the right in this picture.
The view all around is of water.

The reason I have named this post Glass Half Full is because someone said that to me today. A white man in the French quarter tourist info booth. He told me that was how most New Orleans people viewed the situation. I don’t know if that is really true or not--it might just be a bit of positive spin for the tourists.

New Orleans is surrounded by water.
That is a fact.

Mayor Nagan has come out saying he supports self-determination in what will happen in the various neighborhoods.




Grass plugs planted by volunteers to try to save the wetlands

The preservation of New Orleans Depends on Healthy Wetlands

We visited Bayou Sauvage-possibly the largest national wildlife refuge within a city, located in the east of New Orleans. The Hydrology (movement of water due to seasonal changes) is artificially managed because the levees have interrupted the natural hydrology. Gates to control the water levels mimic the seasonal changes.



Brandon explains some wetland facts



Dry cracked mud and garbage =unhealthy wetland.

We stopped at the point where a barge broke through and destroyed the wetland. Volunteers have replaced a lot of the grasses called Spatina Acturnal flora. You can see there is still a need for more.



HUGE oil refinery (one of many) that sits just outside New Orleans.

New Orleans refines and ships through its port a lot of the country’s oil. This process has had a detrimental effect on the wetlands.

Thats it for tonight.

Best, suzanne

St Bernard Housing Project and Community Garden

Massive St. Bernard housing project, Lower 9th

Day two in New Orleans was gorgeous, in the lower 80’s, with brilliant sun. Unfortunately my camera battery ran out on me so sadly I don’t have as many pictures from the day’s travels as I would have liked.

The community housing project at St. Bernard in the Lower 9th looks like nowhere anyone would want to live. A waste land. Big old buildings resemble a prison more than a place to raise children. But for many people this was home.

The buildings sustained minimal damage from the hurricane and the residents have been trying to get the city to reopen the project. In 2006 after their request to reopen the project went unheeded, the residents constructed what was known as Survivors Village, a tent city on the meridian of the highway. There they lived. Rallies were held to try to get the project reopened. Over the past year Survivors Village has disbanded and some of its inhabitants can be found wherever the homeless try to survive and get by without being bothered by the police.

The St Bernard housing project sits abandoned.

The size is overwhelming. Building after building. There are over 1,000 units here. The whole thing is enclosed in a barb wire toped fencing. Brandon and I spent a bit of time wondering why the gates were open. Perhaps the lock had been cut? There were no trespassing and restricted access signs all over. The area was quiet, no one was around. It was an erie place.

The huge brick buildings sit empty, some with windows open, curtains blowing in the breeze. Anything made of metal is rusted out and ancient looking.

COMMUNITY GARDEN
Next we were off to the more peaceful Meg Perry Community Garden, (managed by Parkway partners). Also know as Sun Done Garden, the soil is in excellent shape with no contaminates possibly because the garden has always been organic since it was started in the 70's. The garden is rumored to have been started by the Black Panthers in order to provide a food source for the lower 9. The space contains a greenhouse, several large vegetable plots, and water catchment. There are grapefruit trees, okra, and eggplant to name a few of the very healthy plants thriving there. While we were there Brandon harvested basil from a plant the size of a small tree. Everything grows big here.

One interesting plant that was thriving in a small basin of water was a Water Hyacinth. Brandon told me the plant is very invasive, choking waterways and bayous. The interesting thing about the Water Hyacinth is that it is very fiberous and would make an excellent alternative to corn in the production of ethanol.

Many of the houses around the garden seem to have been repaired and in comparison to other areas the progress is apparent, but there are still an awful lot of FEMA trailers here.

I will try to post todays work tonight--last night there was no internet connection, hence this post was delayed.

till then...Suzanne

New Orleans ~ its a complicated place

Today, my first in New Orleans, was a very busy and intense day. I came away from the day with a lot of confusion. This is an incredibly complicated situation down here that didn't start with the hurricane--the hurricane added another layer.

Many here, volunteers and residents, feel the city used the hurricane to evict an undesirable population.




what's been left behind remind me of grave sites




stairs and paths that lead nowhere anymore.



Common Ground Relief in L9



Zeraph (aka Brandon) my escort and wetlands
project coordinator at Common Ground.

On visiting the Lower Ninth Ward one can only stare and wonder what is going on here. Vast flat fields resembling long neglected graveyards, driveways that go nowhere and slabs of cement with steps for no one. There is a strange beauty. The large trees that have survived dominate the landscape.

A wildwest quality vibrates in the energy there. One can feel a tension and law-less-ness and an anything could happen feeling. This has attracted scores of mostly young people to volunteer in the lower 9th for what appears to be a loosely organized agency called Common Ground Relief. I got to hang with a couple of the volunteers today while working on a water collection system. Of the group I met, all have been on and off, long term, volunteers and were not into living any kind of mainstream lifestyle.

The Common Ground area in the Lower 9th is comprised of about 7 or so buildings that are leased by the agency and house the volunteers, as well as a dining area, a donated clothing area, a small tree farm and plant nursery. There are numerous projects going on at any given time.

One of the wierd-er things is seeing the tour buses go through the area. Some stop, people get off and briefly look around while others just roll slowly through.




Volunteers at Common Ground getting
ready to assemble a rainwater collection system







Three completely destroyed houses that are inexplicably
left standing while perfectly good homes have been demolished.

Its hard to describe all the destruction here. In the Holy Cross neighborhood which is also a part of the lower 9th, there are more houses still left standing whereas on the other side of the lower 9th there are very very few.

Holy cross is also the site of the Global Green Housing development. We stopped by and had a visit with one of the workers who was a friend of Brandon's. I was under the impression that this was a great project but now I am not so certain. He pointed out that while it sounded good, the up keep on the house was so beyond what anyone from that area would be able to keep afford. He also pointed out this is a million dollar home going up in the most dangerous area of any place in the US. It started to seem like less of a good idea to me. I will try to follow-up on this latter.



Finishing construction on the Global Green House
in the Holy Cross neighborhood .

WETLANDS PRESENTATION



School children listen to a wetlands presentation

Today we also visited the John Dibert school in mid-city. Brandon assisted while Colleen made a presentation to groups of 2nd, 3rd and 4 th graders on what a wetlands is and the importance of the wetlands. The kids LOVED IT! It was so fun and I loved it too! The kids were really funny. Its so important that the wetlands are preserved.



Thats all for now folks.

I will try to have some stuff posted here tomorrow from paintings sites.

Best always, Suzanne

NOLA Project Update

The NOLA Project Update

I have been passionately and personally involved in the struggle of the lower ninth ward in New Orleans to recover their land, and keep their culture intact. I knew I wanted to visit the area, but not as a tourist. Then it came to me like a vision, I knew I had to go there as an artist, paint and document, and bring something of this place and time back with me to share with others.

My daughter has been volunteering for the past 5 months in the lower 9th. Through her I have become very connected to the tragedy that continues to befall these folk 2 years after the levees broke. Having this personal connection has been the catalyst for me and I will be creating a body of work that will hopefully help other people connect with what is happening and what should be happening there.

I will be in New Orleans Oct. 10-17. While there I will be creating artwork, blogging and uploading photos daily here. My daughter will be my escort. Below is an outline the areas we will be visiting and painting:

Outline of the Painting and Blogging Locations

Lower 9th Landscape–painting and trying to get a sense of the area–what has been and what the future might hold. Plan to paint at the site of a levee breach

Survivors Village–Survivor's Village is a tent city erected on June 3, 2006 by the residents of New Orleans public housing. Joined by other public housing residents, the residents of St. Bernard Public Housing Development initiated the tent city as a response to the federal government's continued undermining of the residents' rights to return to their homes and resume their leases, which is guaranteed by the UN International Policy on Internally Displaced Persons. www.survivorsvillage.com

The Wetlands Restoration Project–a project of Common Ground Relief Organization. This project seeks to rebuild the destroyed wetlands that are crucial to absorbing storm surge. www.commongroundrelief.org

Common Ground Relief Headquarters–a grassroots organization that has been there from day one. Many college age people flocked to Common Ground and offered immense help in gutting and mold abatement for example. www.commongroundrelief.org

Bayou Communities–though not part of the lower 9th, this is an impoverished area that little is heard about. They are struggling to survive post hurricane. Painting site.

The Eco Green House and Habitat For Humanity home sites–painting at the construction sites and finding out about the reconstruction that is going on through volunteer and philanthropic efforts. Painting site.

Holy Cross Neighborhood Association–a very active area in the lower 9th. I have been contacted through my blog by another blogger from Kansas who is a volunteer for Holy Cross. Making a connection through the online community is another important part of this project.
Displaying the Work. http://www.helpholycross.org


After returning from New Orleans, the work created will be displayed online at www.bluezeppelin.com/gallery/yikesstudio. The blog will be ongoing and will also contain photos and links for more information.

Thanks to everyone for the wonderful support I have received!!
Its not too late to buy a bracelet if you haven’t already as many expenses have yet to be covered)

Next I will be talking to you from New Orleans!

Best Wishes,
Suzanne

Almost There-Getting Ready

YEAH!

Hello to all who have been checking this blog and are supporting this project. Sorry to have been lax in my blogging of late. So much to do and trying to get caught up with work before leaving for New Orleans.

Last weekend we (my husband Anthony and myself) attended an end the war rally/ bring home the troops etc. event in Bangor. It was a good rally and there were some really great speeches but I was a little disapointed by the turn out. There weren't that many more people attending then had been at the rally in March. With all the dissatisfaction and frustration I hear from everyone everyday I thought there would be more in attendance. There was lots of support from people passing by in cars. Everyone needs to get involved however they can.

I don't really want to move the discussion here beyond New Orleans though its hard not to when everything is so related. As a country we should focus on what is needed right here like fixing failing infrastructures instead of spending billions of dollars on an unjust war.

Well, so long till I post my first blog from New Orleans. You should expect to see something from me Oct 10 in the evening as that will be my first full day. I will be jumping right in and will have lots to show you.

Till then,

Best wishes,

Suzanne

Wetlands and the importance of saving them

PROGRESS REPORT
I can't thank everyone enough for their support of my project. It has been so great to see the "HOME" bracelets selling! Not only because they will help finance this project but I know that this blog will been read by even more people! It is my hope that this will be a sort of viral thing that takes off on its own. I am truly grateful for the response.

THE WETLANDS
As part of my painting trip to New Orleans I will be spending time at the Wetland Restoration Project. I have received a lot of information regarding the importance in maintaining a healthy wetland as protection against storm surge.

What I have Learned

• Louisiana is losing wetlands at an incredible rate- one football-field sized area every thirty minutes.
  
  
• Wetlands are a natural levee and our best protection against storm surges and flooding. During Katrina and Rita, levees with healthy wetlands on their sides did not breach, but those next to open water did.
  
  
• One to four acres of wetlands can reduce a storm surge by one foot. In addition, wetlands act like a giant sponge, soaking up billions of gallons of floodwater.
  
  
• The entire country relies on the Gulf of Mexico, so any obstacles to rebuilding a sustainable coast and New Orleans should be met with the full force of a national commitment. A stable New Orleans is predicated on a sustainable coast, and that will be achieved through massive river diversions, closing man-made channels, and holding oil and gas companies accountable for past destruction. There is still a lot of work to do, but with the help of all Americans, we can restore and protect Louisiana's coast, and we must.
  
  
• Natural storm defenses -barrier islands, wetlands, and coastal forests- that once existed had suffered at the hand of humans, and their demise left coastal communities exposed. The storm surge Katrina created destroyed southern Louisiana, obliterated the coast of Mississippi, and toppled levees causing catastrophic flooding in New Orleans and St. Bernard Parish. People drowned in their houses, billions of dollars of property were destroyed, and cracks in American government and society were exposed.

On September 15, 2005, the President pledged
to rebuild the Gulf Coast and do whatever it takes
to make New Orleans and the region rise again.

As the recovery continues two years later, an honest federal commitment to effective storm protection that incorporates coastal restoration and conservation, along with the proper levee alignments, is essential to rebuilding a sustainable Gulf Coast.

KUDOS to WAL-MART Wal-Mart has decided that, as of January 1, 2007, the company will no longer accept cypress mulch that is harvested, bagged, or manufactured in Louisiana. It's a tremendous step that Wal-Mart has recognized cypress sustainability as an important concern.
__________________________________________________________________

I am posting here a rather lengthy (please forgive me) exerpt from Our Coast to Fix -- or Lose By John M. Barry, author of “Rising Tide” and secretary of the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority East.

Saturday, May 12, 2007; A15
There has been much debate in the past 20 months over protecting Louisiana from another lethal hurricane, but nearly all of it has been conducted without any real understanding of the geological context. Congress and the Bush administration need to recognize six facts that define the national interest.

Fact 1: The Gulf of Mexico once reached north to Cape Girardeau, Mo. But the Mississippi River carries such an enormous sediment load that, combined with a falling sea level, it deposited enough sediment to create 35,000 square miles of land from Cape Girardeau to the present mouth of the river. This river-created land includes the entire coast, complete with barrier islands, stretching from Mississippi to Texas. But four human interventions have interfered with this natural process; three of them that benefit the rest of the country have dramatically increased the hurricane threat to the Gulf Coast.

Fact 2: Acres of riverbank at a time used to collapse into the river system providing a main source of sediment. To prevent this and to protect lives and property, engineers stopped such collapses by paving hundreds of miles of the river with riprap and even concrete, beginning more than 1,000 miles upriver -- including on the Ohio, Missouri and other tributaries -- from New Orleans. Reservoirs for flood protection also impound sediment. These and other actions deprive the Mississippi of 60 to 70 percent of its natural sediment load, starving the coast.

Fact 3: To stop sandbars from blocking shipping at the mouth of the Mississippi, engineers built jetties extending more than two miles out into the Gulf of Mexico. This engineering makes Tulsa, Kansas City, Minneapolis, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh and other cities into ports with direct access to the ocean, greatly enhancing the nation’s economy. The river carries 20 percent of the nation’s exports, including 60 percent of its grain exports, and the river at New Orleans is the busiest port in the world. But the jetties prevent any of the sediment remaining in the river from replenishing the Louisiana and Mississippi coasts and barrier islands; instead, the jetties drop the sediment off the continental shelf.

Fact 4: Levees that prevent river flooding in Louisiana and Mississippi interfere with the replenishment of the land locally as well.

Fact 5: Roughly 30 percent of the country’s domestic oil and gas production comes from offshore Louisiana, and to service that production the industry created more than 10,000 miles of canals and pipelines through the marsh. Every inch of those 10,000-plus miles lets saltwater penetrate, and eat away at the coast. So energy production has enormously accelerated what was a slow degradation, transforming a long-term problem into an immediate crisis. The deprivation of sediment is like moving a block of ice from the freezer to the sink, where it begins to melt; the effect of the canals and pipelines is like attacking that ice with an ice pick, breaking it up. As a result, 2,100 square miles of coastal land and barrier islands have melted into the Gulf of Mexico. This land once served as a buffer between the ocean and populated areas in Louisiana and part of Mississippi, protecting them during hurricanes. Each land mile over which a hurricane travels absorbs roughly a foot of storm surge. The nation as a whole gets nearly all the benefits of engineering the river. Louisiana and some of coastal Mississippi get 100 percent of the costs. Eastern New Orleans (including the lower Ninth Ward) and St. Bernard Parish -- nearly all of which, incidentally, is at or above sea level -- exemplify this allocation of costs and benefits. Three man-made shipping canals pass through them, creating almost no jobs there but benefiting commerce throughout the country. Yet nearly all the 175,000 people living there saw their homes flooded not because of any natural vulnerability but because of levee breaks.

Fact 6: Without action, land loss will continue, and it will increasingly jeopardize populated areas, the port system and energy production. This would be catastrophic for America. Scientists say the problem can be solved, even with rising sea levels, but that we have only a decade to begin addressing it in a serious way or the damage may be irreversible. Despite all this and President Bush’s pledge from New Orleans in September 2005 that “we will do what it takes” to help people rebuild, a draft White House cuts its own recommendation of $2 billion for coastal restoration to $1 billion while calling for an increase in the state’s contribution from the usual 35 percent to 50 percent. Generating benefits to the nation is what created the problem, and the nation needs to solve it. Put simply: Why should a cab driver in Pittsburgh or Tulsa pay to fix Louisiana’s coast? Because he gets a stronger economy and lower energy costs from it, and because his benefits created the problem. The failure of Congress and the president to act aggressively to repair the coastline at the mouth of the Mississippi River could threaten the economic vitality of the nation. Louisiana, one of the poorest states, can no longer afford to underwrite benefits for the rest of the nation.

John M. Barry is the author of “Rising Tide” and secretary of the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority East. This article was published in the Washington Post on line.

Till next time--Suzanne