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Hidden Underwater Dangers by Catherine Olivier
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No specified region.
December 9, 20081969-12-31 18:33:28
The storm surge from Hurricane Katrina dumped massive amounts of debris and silt into our waterways. Hurricanes Gustav and Ike added to it. These obstacles are sometimes visible, although much of it lurks beneath the surface of the water. This poses a persistent hazard to boats and fishing gear even three years later.
Shrimpers working in these waters are battling with debris tearing their nets. Recreational boaters sometimes lose lower units, hitting underwater objects. Some run aground in places where post-storm sediment shifts changed the depth and width of waterways, especially at channel openings.
We all face these perils when we head out to fish. The catch of the day should be a redfish or speckled trout, not a car radiator. For the sake of our safety and to restore some of our critical fish habitats, marine debris clean up has become a major initiative for the State of Louisiana, in conjunction with several federal agencies.
The response to the need for serious marine debris clean up started after Hurricane Katrina through a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) program aptly called the “Gulf of Mexico Marine Debris Project.” It was a huge undertaking covering 750 square nautical miles from Perdido Bay, Alabama to Lake Borgne, Louisiana in Phase one.
Phase two covered 850 square nautical miles from the Chandeleur Islands west to Texas. Over 5,000 submerged items, referred to as “contacts,” were located, mapped and posted on the NOAA’s Marine Debris Program web site since the project’s inception.
But, this endeavor did not include surveying any waterways that were not deemed commercial. Thus, many parts of Southeast Louisiana were excluded. Over 700 homes were swept into inland, local waterways in this area. This is why we still see parts of trucks, cars, boats, appliances and buildings in our favorite fishing spots.
However, this should change, thanks to the grassroots efforts of those in communities such as Lake Catherine. They collected the data required to cut through the layers of government beaucracy to find a fundable and workable solution for the forgotten waterways.
“The result was the passage of a resolution to include cleaning commonly traversed waterways, not just those defined as commercially passable,” states Leo Richardson, II, who worked on the effort as a volunteer and is now the State Marine Debris Coordinator for the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP).
Richardson agreed to come out of retirement to take on this mission. He does it with a passion saying that the objective is “to find whatever resources are available to clean up our waterways as best as possible.”
In addition, the “Report It!” campaign was launched through their web site (www.louisianamarinedebris.com) and hotline at 1-866-579-4367 to give citizens a way to report the whereabouts of marine debris. The response was overwhelming.
“After reaching 5,000 reports, we stopped counting,” said Richardson. “We don’t give the Coast Guard individual contact points for surveying anymore because there are so many. Now they ask for a starting and ending point for a waterway or area,” says Richardson.
The goals are impressive and the scope is vast. “We expect to map, track and clear about 400 inland waterways in 27 parishes. The Coast Guard would like to have the cleanup work completely underway by Mid-January of 2009,” adds Richardson.
Many of the obstacles related to removing trash from the water have been addressed with this resolution, although the problem of catastrophic siltation is not yet resolved. “Sediment that creates blockages to waterways or passages cannot be removed or dredged making travel to some locations impossible,” Richardson states.
Even if the schedule seems over-ambitious and some hurricane debris is out of reach, it seems as though this daunting task is moving in the right direction. This is good news for the future of marine eco-systems in the area and for those of us who spend time on the water enjoying the benefits of outdoor life in Louisiana.
For more information on the progress of coastal marine debris mapping and clean up, or to obtain GPS coordinates, visit www. MarineDebris.noaa.gov. Updates to Coast Guard efforts are available at http://gulfofmexico.marinedebris.noaa.gov.
To report debris findings or get updates on inland waterway mapping and clearing, visit www.louisianamarinedebris.com or call 1-866-579-4367. Boaters without internet access can also contact Louisiana Sea Grant at 1-225-578-6451 to receive free map printouts by mail.
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