Citation:

Impact/Purpose:

This project will monitor selected water quality parameters, including water temperature, turbidity, salinity, and algal blooms to assess the impacts of freshwater diversions for several selected areas within the New Orleans metropolitan area. The specific areas of study include the Pen, Barataria Bay and smaller bays and estuaries impacted by the Lareussite Diversion; Lake Catatouache, Lake Salvador, Barataria Bay, and smaller bays and estuaries that will be impacted by the Davis Pond Diversion as well as other areas. In conjunction with this water quality monitoring, remote sensing technology will be used to help monitor the diversions and algal blooms and their associated impacts on the area. The data generated should provide information as to the distance nutrients and sediments are being carried into the wetlands, as well as assess their impacts, including the amount of land acreage being built by the diversions. Data generated will also better our understanding of the environmental factors that regulate the occurrence of algae blooms, some of which are toxic and noxious.

Information gathered in this study will be made available for public access and community transfer, as two of the main elements of this project are to package the information in a manner that is understandable to the public and to ensure that it is made readily accessible via the news media (newspaper, radio and TV) and by Internet access.

Description:

This project will monitor selected water quality parameters, including water temperature, turbidity, salinity, and algal blooms to assess the impacts of freshwater diversions for several selected areas within the New Orleans metropolitan area. The specific areas of study include the Pen, Barataria Bay and smaller bays and estuaries impacted by the Lareussite Diversion; Lake Catatouache, Lake Salvador, Barataria Bay, and smaller bays and estuaries that will be impacted by the Davis Pond Diversion as well as other areas. In conjunction with this water quality monitoring, remote sensing technology will be used to help monitor the diversions and algal blooms and their associated impacts on the area. The data generated should provide information as to the distance nutrients and sediments are being carried into the wetlands, as well as assess their impacts, including the amount of land acreage being built by the diversions. Data generated will also better our understanding of the environmental factors that regulate the occurrence of algae blooms, some of which are toxic and noxious. Information gathered in this study will be made available for public access and community transfer, as two of the main elements of this project are to package the information in a manner that is understandable to the public and to ensure that it is made readily accessible via the news media (newspaper, radio and TV) and by Internet access.

Record Details: