In my previous post, the last point I made was that Louisiana had precious few beaches. Now it appears that all of the road-accessible beaches in and around Grand Isle have been closed as of May 21, because of the effects of the oil spill. What a blow to the economy in Grand Isle, whose residents are heavily dependent on the tourists who would normally flock into Grand Isle this time of year to enjoy the beaches and go fishing. Here's local news coverage (video footage). And here's the local newspaper coverage. I copied an image of the three beaches from Google Earth. Go to Google Earth and type in Grand Isle, Louisiana. Note that Grand Isle really is a road-accessible island. The bridge crossing over to Grand Isle is where alot of fishing is done. Zoom in on the bridge. On the left of the bridge, inside the V- or 7-shaped Elmer's Island (depending on your view) is a great place for kayaking. Fourchon Beach is on the lower left of the image I took, and fronts one of the most important industrial ports in the United States, Port Fourchon. For the few times I have been down in the area, I preferred Fourchon Beach over Grand Isle Beach. It's sort of like comparing Waikiki Beach (Grand Isle), which is so-so as a beach, but a major tourist destination, to Kailua Beach (Fourchon Beach) close to where we lived on Oahu, which, in my mind was a better beach to go swimming and playing around in. NOAA will shortly give their predictions about hurricane season this year, which officially begins nine days from now. I can only imagine what a Hurricane like Rita (2005) or Ike (2008) would do. Both hurricanes remained offshore below Terrebonne Parish as they headed toward Texas, pushing deep water all the way to the Intracoastal Waterway that intersects east and west Houma 30 miles inland. I'm not sure how habitable coastal Louisiana would be for any life, human or otherwise, if a similar hurricane were to impact us.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Grand Isle, Elmer's Island, and Fourchon Beaches all closed
In my previous post, the last point I made was that Louisiana had precious few beaches. Now it appears that all of the road-accessible beaches in and around Grand Isle have been closed as of May 21, because of the effects of the oil spill. What a blow to the economy in Grand Isle, whose residents are heavily dependent on the tourists who would normally flock into Grand Isle this time of year to enjoy the beaches and go fishing. Here's local news coverage (video footage). And here's the local newspaper coverage. I copied an image of the three beaches from Google Earth. Go to Google Earth and type in Grand Isle, Louisiana. Note that Grand Isle really is a road-accessible island. The bridge crossing over to Grand Isle is where alot of fishing is done. Zoom in on the bridge. On the left of the bridge, inside the V- or 7-shaped Elmer's Island (depending on your view) is a great place for kayaking. Fourchon Beach is on the lower left of the image I took, and fronts one of the most important industrial ports in the United States, Port Fourchon. For the few times I have been down in the area, I preferred Fourchon Beach over Grand Isle Beach. It's sort of like comparing Waikiki Beach (Grand Isle), which is so-so as a beach, but a major tourist destination, to Kailua Beach (Fourchon Beach) close to where we lived on Oahu, which, in my mind was a better beach to go swimming and playing around in. NOAA will shortly give their predictions about hurricane season this year, which officially begins nine days from now. I can only imagine what a Hurricane like Rita (2005) or Ike (2008) would do. Both hurricanes remained offshore below Terrebonne Parish as they headed toward Texas, pushing deep water all the way to the Intracoastal Waterway that intersects east and west Houma 30 miles inland. I'm not sure how habitable coastal Louisiana would be for any life, human or otherwise, if a similar hurricane were to impact us.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Louisiana facts relevant to the oil spill
2. Population. According to U.S. Census estimates in 2006, nearly 50% of the state’s population lives in Louisiana’s coastal parishes.
3. Seafood industry and commercial fishing. Louisiana produces 50% of the U.S. shrimp crop, 35% of the nation's blue claw crabs, and 40% of its oysters. Additionally, Louisiana commercial landings account for about 20% of the total catch of fish by weight in the lower 48 States.
4. Recreational fishing. Annual expenditures related to non-commercial fishing in Louisiana amount to $1.7 billion.
5. Waterborne commerce. Five of the top fifteen largest ports in the United States are located in Louisiana. In 2005, Louisiana's coastal wetlands provided storm protection for ports that carried nearly 500 million tons of waterborne commerce- accounting for 18% of all waterborne commerce in the United States.
6. Marine habitat. Ninety percent of all the marine species in the Gulf depend on coastal estuaries at some point in their lives, and most of these estuaries are in Louisiana.
7. Bird habitat. More than one-half of the species of birds in North America are resident in Louisiana or spend a portion of their migration there.
8. Wetlands. Because of its many bays and sounds, Louisiana has the longest coastline (15,000 miles) of any state and 41 percent of the nation's wetlands.
9. Wetland loss. Between 1990 and 2000, wetland loss was approximately 24 square miles per year, the rough equivalent one football field every 38 minutes. The projected loss over the next 50 years, even with current restoration efforts taken into account, is estimated to be 500 sq. mi. Hurricanes Katrina and Rita transformed 217 square miles of marsh to open water in coastal Louisiana.
10. Beaches. Louisiana is not a beach destination. Granted, there are a few road-accessible beaches, such as the one on Grand Isle about 1.5 hr from New Orleans, but beaches close to the mouth of the Mississippi are not pristine beaches by any stretch.
3. Seafood industry and commercial fishing. Louisiana produces 50% of the U.S. shrimp crop, 35% of the nation's blue claw crabs, and 40% of its oysters. Additionally, Louisiana commercial landings account for about 20% of the total catch of fish by weight in the lower 48 States.
4. Recreational fishing. Annual expenditures related to non-commercial fishing in Louisiana amount to $1.7 billion.
5. Waterborne commerce. Five of the top fifteen largest ports in the United States are located in Louisiana. In 2005, Louisiana's coastal wetlands provided storm protection for ports that carried nearly 500 million tons of waterborne commerce- accounting for 18% of all waterborne commerce in the United States.
6. Marine habitat. Ninety percent of all the marine species in the Gulf depend on coastal estuaries at some point in their lives, and most of these estuaries are in Louisiana.
7. Bird habitat. More than one-half of the species of birds in North America are resident in Louisiana or spend a portion of their migration there.
8. Wetlands. Because of its many bays and sounds, Louisiana has the longest coastline (15,000 miles) of any state and 41 percent of the nation's wetlands.
9. Wetland loss. Between 1990 and 2000, wetland loss was approximately 24 square miles per year, the rough equivalent one football field every 38 minutes. The projected loss over the next 50 years, even with current restoration efforts taken into account, is estimated to be 500 sq. mi. Hurricanes Katrina and Rita transformed 217 square miles of marsh to open water in coastal Louisiana.
10. Beaches. Louisiana is not a beach destination. Granted, there are a few road-accessible beaches, such as the one on Grand Isle about 1.5 hr from New Orleans, but beaches close to the mouth of the Mississippi are not pristine beaches by any stretch.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Oil spill approaching Lafourche and Terrebonne Parishes
For those who live in Terrebonne and Lafourche Parishes, there are eerie similarities between post-Hurricane Katrina events and what is now unfolding following the oil spill. In the case of Katrina, New Orleans and coastal areas further east took the brunt of the storm, while Terrebonne and Lafourche Parishes were far less affected. However, a storm later in the same season, namely Hurricane Rita, caused caused massive flooding and economic impact in these parishes and further west.In the case of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, it initially appeared that parishes west of the Mississippi River had the possibility of largely escaping its devastating effects. But now, the tide has definitely turned for the worse. The map above is the NOAA projection as to where the spill is as of today at 6:00 p.m. NOAA has projected out for 24, 48, and 72 hours beyond Saturday at 6:00 p.m. The forecast shows the potential for oil along the Southwest Pass, on the beaches of Port Fourchon, and the Timbalier Islands. As of yet, no oil has been observed on the beaches at Grand Isle. The State Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has extended its ban on recreational and commercial fishing in some offshore waters west of the Mississippi, which has fishermen in this area much more concerned than they may have initially been. Oyster beds west of the Mississippi have been closed as well. Presidents of both Lafourche and Terrebonne Parishes have declared a state of emergency in response to the westward movement of the oil spill and the crisis that has been created by this mess.
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