A Plan for New Orleans

[mishalak]

It is ridiculous and silly to write about what to do about the New Orleans and Mississippi Delta given that I have no power or even the ear of power. But I will write anyway and hope that my vague ideas will join into the zeitgeist to help inspire better planning for the big easy.

There are many problems with the current situation. First of all the Mississippi main channel is no longer the easiest route for water to reach the Gulf of Mexico and so the river is constantly trying to switch course at Old River to the Atchafalaya basin. Related is the significant depth bellow the elevation of the Mississippi and Lake Pontchartrain of New Orleans and its suburbs.

I propose that instead of trying to rebuild New Orleans as it was that the city be reoriented for growth on high ground only. If parts of New Orleans itself cannot be practically filled in to create islands above the current elevation of the Mississippi they should be abandoned to nature or turned into parks without residential or commercial structures. A nearly solid ring of such neighborhoods AME (Above Mississippi Elevation) with drainage structures should be created around the downtown and historic areas where it is not possible to economically elevate the city with fill.

The main weakness of this central ring would be the Mississippi River so I propose preparations be made to turn the current main channel of the Mississippi into a shipping and scenic canal while the main flow of the river be allowed to run relatively freely into the Atchafalaya. While building of the urban islands AME for the suburbs and outer areas of New Orleans should be paid for by the United States in the interest of helping an economically important city in need it should be done so with the restriction that in the future all new neighborhoods and suburbs must be put on these islands at the expense of developers, though none should be built any further east or south of New Orleans.

New Orleans should be connected via high speed and light rail to nearby inland areas in event of mass evacuation being needed in the future despite the precautions against flooding.

And since I am mouthing off I am going to see if I cannot find a place to send a little money to help New Orleans where it won't be diverted by the corrupt, incompetent, and/or evil types that flock to disaster.

Comments

[cindy-reddeer.livejournal.com]

I think you have some very valid points that make perfect sense. But, as humans, we have a crazy tendency to try to bend Mother Nature to our will. Even though she turns around and smacks us up-side the head, over and over.

[mishalak.livejournal.com]

What I propose is no less controlling of nature, it would just be controlling it in ways that will work better. Instead of trying to keep water out of empty bowls we'll be trying to keep it off artificial islands and one at sea level bowl surrounded by a levee, a ring of AME neighborhood, and then another levee for downtown and the French Quarter. Instead of trying to keep the river next to the city we'll keep what the city really needs, a controlled shipping canal that can be completely shut off from the sea and river at multiple points. Meanwhile the river will do its business where the state is most in need of sediment deposits. There will still be all sorts of walls, levees, and controls; it will just be that the greater New Orleans area will depend upon them less.