Collaborative Research: NSF R2I2: Coastal Resilience through Effective Versatile Adaptation and Sediment Strategies for Sea-Level Rise Engagement (CREVASSE)

Mud from the Mississippi River built the vast wetlands of Louisiana. Nearly 2000 sq. miles of these wetlands have become open water since the 1930s, wiping out coastal communities and leaving others vulnerable to natural hazards. Crevasses – cuts in the river levee where water and mud flow into the surrounding wetlands are a proven, economical tool for rebuilding these wetlands. River managers have historically adopted a policy of closing crevasses because these cuts can impact the use of the river as a navigation channel and enhance salinity intrusion when the river is low, threatening drinking water supplies. However, crevasses are expected to become more common in the coming decades, especially in areas where channel bank protection is less intensive. The United States is currently lacking a formal framework to incorporate crevassing as part of river management efforts. This project brings together state and federal resource management agencies, private organizations, environmental advocacy nonprofits, and local universities and technical colleges. The project will create the tools and techniques needed to support effective management decisions and to develop a workforce that is both connected to community needs and capable of contributing to long-term planning and adaptive management of the crevasse system.

On the lower Mississippi River, crevasse management is key to sustaining valuable wetlands while enabling the river to meet the needs of communities and commerce. Crevasses are an indispensable component of any resilient future for the Mississippi River Delta, but the crevasse network is most effective when managed as a system rather than individual ad hoc efforts. Systematic management requires a firmer understanding of water and sediment pathways through crevasses, their interactions with the main river channel, and their interactions with each other. Critically, it also requires a conceptual framework that is grounded in both geomorphology and management practice to explain how anthropogenic activities have influenced crevasse performance in the past and how those activities are most effective. This project will develop tools and techniques that can be used to target water and sediment delivery throughout the crevasse network and balance the function of the river for the many stakeholders that rely on it. Furthermore, the project creates a workforce development program to produce practitioners in the local community that can design and monitor crevasses and understand how to balance the relevant environmental and economic interests.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

Award Number: 2521996
Principal Investigator: Madeline Foster-Martinez
Funds Obligated: $97,242
State: LA