Scientists, conservation leaders touring Wax Lake Delta

CENTERVILLE, La. (WAFB) - The Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority is conducting a site visit to the Wax Lake Delta near Morgan City.

The delta is an artificial outlet created in 1941 by the Army Corps of Engineers in the Atchafalaya River basin to reduce flooding in Morgan City. The Corps dredged the delta, and the river basin over time filled with sediment. This provided a hospitable environment for marshland to thrive.

Wax Lake Delta and the adjacent Atchafalaya River Delta are the only natural land building sites in the United States, according to CPRA Public Information Director Chuck Perrodin. Large amounts of settlement sediment are filling in open water, just as nature intended.

The tour starts from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Cabot Boat Launch Hwy. 90 to Hwy. 317 in Centerville.

Several experts in the field will be attending the tour, including CPRA Executive Director Bren Haase, Louisiana Sea Grant Executive Director Dr. Robert Twilley, and National Wildlife Federation Staff Scientist Dr. Alisha Renfro.

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