Water Quality Analysis of the Bayou Bienvenue Central Wetland Unit

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the need for coastal restoration, for the affected areas, was brought to light on a large-scale in order to protect the public health and environment of the state of Louisiana. As a result of man-induced changes to natural processes, such as construction of the levees, the oil and gas pipeline canal, and the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet, the Louisiana wetlands are decreasing by more than 65km2 per year. The loss of these wetlands is far more complex than simple land loss—economic and social losses exponentially increase the importance of restoring the Louisiana wetlands. Tulane University students, in partnership with students from Nunez Community College, aimed to identify and evaluate ecological and water quality issues related to coastal restoration in order to aid local government officials and stakeholders in identifying and assessing wetland restoration and sustainability initiatives such as cypress restoration and development of floating islands as a means of hazard mitigation and public health/ecological enhancement. Students gathered data on physical and chemical parameters (turbidity, dissolved oxygen, temperature, salinity, conductivity, pH, alkalinity, and hardness), solids and nutrients (dissolved solids, total suspended solids, volatile suspended solids, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus), biological parameters (fecal coliform), and organic content (biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, and total organic carbon content). Results for the parameters measured were in compliance with the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality's (LADEQs) criteria for wetland assimilation sites. Data, however, indicates that further research is needed in order to effectively identify and assess wetland restoration and sustainability initiatives.