American Rivers Statement on Katrina's New Orleans Impact
Follows a press release from American Rivers. "American Rivers works every day for healthy rivers, abundant fish and wildlife, and thriving river communities."
WASHINGTON, Aug 30 -- American Rivers President Rebecca R. Wodder released the following statement today on the trail of destruction that Hurricane Katrina has left along the Gulf Coast:
Our hearts go out to he victims of Hurricane Katrina and the brave emergency personnel that are coming to their aid.
We have long feared this day was coming. Decades of severe environmental degradation along the Mississippi River have left the region progressively more vulnerable to the winds and floods that accompany a storm like Katrina.
The mouth of the Mississippi River was once a vast wetland delta, a robust cushion to absorb and disperse some of the storm's energy. Today, much of that delta has disintegrated -- sliced up to make way for oil pipelines and starved of new sediment to rebuild itself.
The problems extend far upstream. The Mississippi River and its tributaries are lined with countless miles of levees. Each of these provides a false sense of security for the communities behind them -- and increases the flood risk for their downstream neighbors.
When the winds die down, the waters recede, and the rebuilding begins, we call on lawmakers to learn from the mistakes of the past and not be seduced by the false promise of security behind higher levees. The unintended consequences of this approach are tragically on display today.
WASHINGTON, Aug 30 -- American Rivers President Rebecca R. Wodder released the following statement today on the trail of destruction that Hurricane Katrina has left along the Gulf Coast:
Our hearts go out to he victims of Hurricane Katrina and the brave emergency personnel that are coming to their aid.
We have long feared this day was coming. Decades of severe environmental degradation along the Mississippi River have left the region progressively more vulnerable to the winds and floods that accompany a storm like Katrina.
The mouth of the Mississippi River was once a vast wetland delta, a robust cushion to absorb and disperse some of the storm's energy. Today, much of that delta has disintegrated -- sliced up to make way for oil pipelines and starved of new sediment to rebuild itself.
The problems extend far upstream. The Mississippi River and its tributaries are lined with countless miles of levees. Each of these provides a false sense of security for the communities behind them -- and increases the flood risk for their downstream neighbors.
When the winds die down, the waters recede, and the rebuilding begins, we call on lawmakers to learn from the mistakes of the past and not be seduced by the false promise of security behind higher levees. The unintended consequences of this approach are tragically on display today.
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