A bayou and it's unknown history, a new find so far historians and history sites in Louisiana have not documented this. Hoping someone can find more.

White Castle to Plaquemine, Louisiana showing Bernardo De Galvez works to help in the American Revolution, an Iberville Parish history.

There are severe ecological concerns with the HW22 levee preventing natural tidal flows into the Amite basin. There is a grave concern with the Amite River Basin in Louisiana being blocked near Lake Maurepas with a 5 ft high 0.75 mile long HW 22 preventing natural tidal flows in and out the basin, ecology failure with animals drowning in flood conditions and limited drainage of the basin. There is high flows at the river and too high for fish to navigate the small outlet. The Sierra Club has been alerted.

The CORPS has asked the public to contact Congress for providing finances of an Amite River Basin study with also stating my two concepts are well worth considering. This flood cost the US $10 billion

My communication:
CORPS response:
US Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District *Interesting idea*. We recommend contacting your congressional representatives and ask them for a study into the matter.

My comment to the Corps:
A University reviewed 2 concepts listed below on Amite Basin drainage and they mentioned there would be erosion. Would this mean the concepts are dead in the water?

Two (2) solutions for flooding near Baton Rouge are scatter-select, remove and sell trees in the Lower South Amite River Basin and remove/replace man-made HW 22 flow restriction which is located on the basin's outlet thus increasing basin's flow.

1. Flood threat size is growing by the year because the South Amite River basin tree diameter is growing yearly. As tree diameter growth increase, resistance of the basin associated with trees prevents flood waters from draining quick enough. Also future years will bring more tree growth and flow resistance with frequent flooding and greater crest heights. To bring tree area back to the same as 20 years ago; select, remove and sell trees in the basin from the river's mouth to north Baton Rouge and this will reduce flood crests with greater flow moving along the 36+ mile basin. The basin flood velocity will be the same as 20 years ago with no increase in basin erosion compared to then.

This is a public flood drainage concept and tree removal should not need to meet wetlands mitigation cost. Contact your elected officials and ask them to pass a congressional waiver for wetlands mitigations of the trees needing to be removed to return to a tree diameter of 20 years.

Wetlands laws have allowed trees to grow in the Amite Basin for 20 years with increasing flooding. Velocity in the basin, during the flood, was 0.3 ft per second and basin velocity/flow will increase to the same as of 20 years earlier by removing tree growth area back to 20 years ago and this is about 6% - 9% reduction of tree area for the basin. Velocity is calculated from 12 miles crest travel from French Settlement to Maurepas which took 26 hours .

2. Flood elevation will not build at an existing 5 ft high earthen HW 22 restriction because it will be removed and replaced with a HW 22-0.5 mile long elevated open bottom highway/ spillway. This will allow flood water to flow underneath the spillway quickly releasing into Lake Maurepas.

CORPS response Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/usacenola/posts/1761402780569655

Below article talks about limiting Mississippi River diversion flows as not to overload the marshes with sediment and water. This is critical as not drowning the marshes keeping marsh grasses thus growing and seafood can adapt with less shock to the marshes.

I hope they keep in mind my plan which they have thanked me for input. Before the largest diversions are open dredge a 20 ft X 20 ft canal from the diversion point to open waters. As the diversion is opened water will rush down the canal and sheet flow over the banks of the canal south banks, place the dredged material on the north banks minimizing flooding of north communities. Sheet flow will turn into many crevices but the crevices will be along the canal instead of a few large crevices at the diversion point. Less high level flooding of the marshes because the diversion will be channeled for many miles, nurseries will survive the lower velocities also with less flood height, and the smaller creavises can be be worked with dirt machines in low water conditions.

True natural flooding similar to 100s of years ago instead of a massive crevice (the diversion) which is not natural.

How Will Sediment Diversions Impact Fisheries?
http://mississippiriverdelta.org/will-sediment-diversions-impact-fisheries/

Caught a large Buffalo fish and after a crawfish boil was over added it to re boiled water until cooked.

First cut the head off and gutted it (need an ax for the head cutting). Butterflied it out and did not remove the scales then added it to the boiling water. After cooked placed on the table scales down and everyone ate the tender ribs. No one ate the crawfish until the buffalo was gone.

75 ft wide

Restoration engineers have one shot at the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion in the first year and will not know if their plan fails until the summer months later which is too late. This is because dead zones happen in the summer with an exponential increase of more dead zones from seafood life rotting and killing most of the marsh seafood in Louisiana which is about 1/3 of Louisiana. Also nurseries will die and there will be a large decrease in seafood.

Latest Mississippi River diversions strategies (2016) shows a transition time to allow for marshes and seafood nurseries etc. to adapt. This is good but does not include my suggestions for improving the diversions. My suggestions ((XX)) below were sent about 6 months ago per request of project management asking for engineering help. Their strategy and my suggestion should both be implemented maximizing development of ((many)) distributary channel network((s)), ((Further))reduce the risk of flooding to communities, ((Further))limit erosion of adjacent marshes, ((Further))reduce the shock to marsh plants and fish and wildlife species and allow them time to adjust and self-organize around the new conditions. ((Minimize dead zones because of many small distributaries from the Diversion Extension (DE) defined in my suggestion and fully open the diversion in summer months capturing summer floods and reservoir sediment arriving in Louisiana )).

RECOMMENDED KEY OPERATIONS STRATEGIES:

...1. Initial operation strategies will differ from long-term operation strategies:

a. Initial operation plans should include robust monitoring and flexibility to modify operations as the conditions in the basin change and adjust rapidly. Updates to the plan may be required more frequently based on an integrated and near real-time operations-monitoring feedback loop.

b. A sediment diversion cannot be operated at full capacity on Day 1. Gradually opening the diversion over time (an estimated 5-10 years) will facilitate the development of a distributary channel network, reduce the risk of flooding to communities, limit erosion of adjacent marshes, reduce the shock to marsh plants and fish and wildlife species and allow them time to adjust and self-organize around the new conditions.

((Dredge a 20 ft WXD 11 miles long canal, which becomes the Diversion Extension (DE), and constructed from the Mississippi River diversion location westward to open marsh waters and place the dredged material on the north side to build a berm. Mini-diversions can be added to the berm for support of north marshes with limiting flow and minimizing flooding in the town of Lafitte (7 miles north of the DE). When the diversion starts operating flow will travel westward to open waters carrying bed load and settlement. The south non-bermed side will over-flow in sheets of water along the length of the canal forming many small distributaries with shallow water. Canal sheet flows will vary as DE flow changes and the distributaries will have many small sheet flows on their outlets. South marshes will act as height (pressure) relief essentially keeping a steady marsh height as diversion flow increases thus preventing marsh drowning. Canal will be scoured fairly quickly and an equilibrium will be reached with a final much larger canal area (ft2). If needed earth movers can work along the canal in low water months to adjust land or distributaries))

c. To ensure that opening a diversion does not cause unnecessary plant stress and/or wetland loss, start operations during the non-growing season for the first 2-3 years to allow vegetation to adapt to the new conditions....

((My suggestion in b. will maximize this capability))

BUILDING LAND IN COASTAL LOUISIANA

Expert Recommendations for Operating a Successful Sediment Diversion that Balances Ecosystem and Community Needs, Report Summary http://www.mississippiriverdelta.org/files/2016/07/MRDRC_OWG_Summary_Electronic.pdf

REF: Sediment diversion raises concerns about flooding and fishing in Jean Lafitte. http://www.nola.com/environment/index.ssf/2017/07/sediment_diversion_raises_conc.html

Contact the Governor: http://gov.louisiana.gov/index.cfm/form/home/4

House: http://house.louisiana.gov/

Senate: http://senate.la.gov/

Copy and paste below information and ask the Governor or as you want to state:

Dear Governor Edwards,

Please ask Louisiana Restoration project managers to consider suggestion below be added to 'Recommendations for Operating a Successful Sediment Diversion that Balances Ecosystem and Community Needs' as an added insurance diversion concerns will be minimized.

Reference Louisiana Sportsman post with suggestions and sketches:

https://www.louisianasportsman.com/lpca/index.php?section=reports&event=view&action=full_report&id=220167&sid=

BUILDING LAND IN COASTAL LOUISIANA

Expert Recommendations for Operating a Successful Sediment Diversion that Balances Ecosystem and Community Needs, Report Summary http://www.mississippiriverdelta.org/files/2016/07/MRDRC_OWG_Summary_Electronic.pdf

Please see below link for sharing feedback for DRAFT 2017 Coastal Master Plan Submit Feedback

http://coastal.la.gov/a-common-vision/2017-draft-coastal-master-plan/draft-mp-feedback/

I have been a diabetic for 40 years and now there are no complications as of this week.

1. Had nerve damage in my feet. Doctor tested me with a feather like device and left foot 100% healed with right foot 90% healed. Doctor said I should hot have been healed.

2. Left eye was going blind for two years from blood leakage. Found out antihistamines caused the bleeding, stopped them and see perfect in both eyes The doctor said I can throw away my glasses because I have 20X20 vision.

Of course taking slow and fast acting insulin with good sugar control helped.

Two non-reversing complications from diabetes have been reversed.

Tell your friends who might have trouble there is hope. Also I jogged for 40 years and this helped.

https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R43455.pdf

EPA and the Army Corps? Rule to Define ?Waters of the United States?

In the South Amite Basin for 20 years tree diameter has been growing because it is wetlands and logging has stopped with adding resistance from larger diameter trees and has slowed down drainage of the basin giving way for more flooding in the Baton Rouge area. If enough trees can be harvested to same open area in the basin as of 20 years ago then flood waters can drain quicker to Lake Maurepas. There should be no added concern of erosion because the basin should have the same flow and velocity similar to 20 years ago. Also trees will restrict flow

more as they grow in the future and there will be less drainage capability for the basin. I believe a Federal waiver would be needed to prevent wetlands mitigation cost and could be based on public safety and flood minimizing.

Addition:
If tree diameter growth is 0.5 inches per year for 20 years and the basin
average width is 4,000 ft, then tree diameter has increased 160 ft in the basin
for an average 1 multiplier trees/(20 ft X 20 ft) of basin area or about 350 ft
for 2 multiplier. This growth has restricted flood drainage in the basin and
removing/selling enough trees to eliminate this increase will help flood
drainage.

More information:
Velocity in the basin, during the flood, was 3 ft in 10 seconds and basin
velocity/flow will increase to the same as 20 years earlier by removing tree
growth area of 20 years and this is about 6% - 9% reduction of tree area for the
basin. Velocity is calculated from 12 miles crest travel for 26 hours from
French Settlement to Maurepas. Please see USGS height graph 26 hour change.

The possible future HW 22 Spillway in South Louisiana will be one of the largest wildlife crossings and please see below other wildlife crossings links in the world. Suggested to the state contacting wildlife organizations and they may support the spillway even mention the State will place an attractive sign with their trade name etc. on the crossing.

Possible Future HW 22, 0.5 mile elevated spillway Wildlife Crossing and world crossings
http://www.louisianasportsman.com/lpca/index.php?section=reports&event=view&action=full_report&id=205804

Possible Future project having this wildlife crossing

UNPLUG The Amite Basin a Sizable Increase in Drainage Capacity and return to natural drainage.
http://www.louisianasportsman.com/lpca/index.php?section=reports&event=view&action=full_report&id=205579

My other articles:

Rock weir Amite Diversion
http://www.louisianasportsman.com/lpca/index.php?section=reports&event=view&action=full_report&id=205799
Adding Adjustable Weir and Level Controls to the Diversion Canal
http://www.louisianasportsman.com/lpca/index.php?section=reports&event=view&action=full_report&id=205801
Alternate Adjustable Weir Location
http://www.louisianasportsman.com/lpca/index.php?section=reports&event=view&action=full_report&id=205802
South Amite River Ecological Improvement
http://www.louisianasportsman.com/lpca/index.php?section=reports&event=view&action=full_report&id=205800
Future rain for more flooding and Global warming
http://www.louisianasportsman.com/lpca/index.php?section=reports&event=view&action=full_report&id=205803
UNPLUG The Amite Basin a Sizable Increase in Drainage Capacity
http://www.louisianasportsman.com/lpca/index.php?section=reports&event=view&action=full_report&id=205579

Please see picture of Presidential Weighted Strengths I filled in. A similar calculator for 10 items could be placed on the internet for all to input for results.

My Louisiana Sportsman restoration links:
Sketches for Mid-Barataria Diversion Enhancements
http://www.louisianasportsman.com/lpca/index.php?section=reports&event=view&action=full_report&id=204355

I think the answer is: Liming too costly.

100 Billion ton of limestone in the article would be a volume about 2.7 cubic miles limestone or 2.3 Miles X 2.3 miles X 0.5 Miles high (height of large mountain +/-) and cost $2 trillion.

Details

100 Billion ton of limestone is about 2.7 cubic miles or 5.4 square miles at 0.5 miles high mountain. Or 2.3 Miles X 2.3 miles X 0.5 miles high of limestone at 131.1 lbs/ft3. At $20+/- per ton limestone cost will be $2 trillion.

Is this unrealistic? Let's say 20 countries share the cost then the cost will be $100 Billion per country. Cost over 10 years would be $10 Billion per country per year+/-. Pretty costly!

http://www.treehugger.com/clean-technology/giving-geo-engineering-another-go-dumping-limestone-into-the-oceans-to-fight-acidification.html

http://www.treehugger.com/clean-technology/giving-geo-engineering-another-go-dumping-limestone-into-the-oceans-to-fight-acidification.html

Graph showing acidity of ocean increasing. Still trying to find the latest on the concept of adding lime to the ocean.

How will ocean acidification affect ocean sound levels?

http://www.dosits.org/science/soundsinthesea/oceanacidification/

Adding lime to seawater may help to:absorb CO2 from atmosphere and also lower acid seawater for Marine ecosystems. Trying to find latest information because the below concept was listed in 2008. Will post if I can find later information.

...Carbon is naturally removed from the atmosphere and the oceans by vegetation, so it makes sense to protect forests and encourage their growth. There are ways to reduce ocean acidification, such as by adding lime to seawater, as discussed at other posts of this geoengineering blog and at this geoengineering group. Carbon capture from ambient air and pyrolysis of surplus biomass with biochar burial are some of the most promising methods to further remove carbon from the atmosphere. Biochar can also help with afforestation and prevent deforestation and land degradation. Funding of carbon air capture could be raised through fees on jet fuel.

Geo-engineering

http://geo-engineering.blogspot.com/2011/01/global-warming-action-plan.html

Shell Oil is funding a project that is studying the potential of adding lime to seawater to store carbon dioxide (CO2) in the sea.

Adding lime to seawater

http://geo-engineering.blogspot.com/2008/11/adding-lime-to-seawater.html

***************************

Also coral will disappear and Marine ecosystems will be undermined, more reasons to add lime.

increasing Acid Could Kill Most Coral by 2050

http://www.livescience.com/2135-increasing-acid-kill-coral-2050.html

...Earth System Models project that within the last decade ocean acidity exceeded historical analogs[10] and in combination with other ocean biogeochemical changes could undermine the functioning of marine ecosystems and disrupt the provision of many goods and services associated with the ocean...

Wikipedia

Ocean acidification

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ocean_acidification

*************************

Not sure if this is a final answer and will review further.

...Even if the process of making the lime creates CO2, twice as much is absorbed by adding the lime to seawater. This means that the overall process is ?carbon negative?.

CO2 levels back to pre-industrial levels: A limestone Challenge...

http://www.talkgreen.ca/co2-levels-back-to-pre-industrial-levels-a-limestone-challenge/

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Latest sketches for Mid-Barataria Diversion Enhancements for review and comment.

Mid-Barataria Diversion Enhancement sketches will prevent marsh drowning, allow for many mini-diversions with nurseries, full diversion in summer months capturing summer floods and Dam Reservoir sediment bypassed, minimize flooding in Lafitte. and provide healthy marshes for recreation and commercial fishing because marshes and seafood life will flourish.

Latest sketches for Mid-Barataria Diversion Enhancements

http://www.louisianasportsman.com/lpca/index.php?section=reports&event=view&action=full_report&id=204355

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

My stream links Louisiana Sportsman:

Growth of a diversion resulting in a true natural process and will prevent marsh drowning

http://www.louisianasportsman.com/lpca/index.php?section=reports&event=view&action=full_report&id=204090

Recent article shows large diversions capacity will be limited during the summer months

http://www.louisianasportsman.com/lpca/index.php?section=reports&event=view&action=full_report&id=204004

Increased suspended sediment from Dam Reservoirs

http://www.louisianasportsman.com/lpca/index.php?section=reports&event=view&action=full_report&id=203974

Large diversions capacity will be limited during the summer months

http://www.louisianasportsman.com/lpca/index.php?section=reports&event=view&action=full_report&id=204004

Ideas for aerating marshes to minimize dead zones also river discharge data for 8 years

http://www.louisianasportsman.com/lpca/index.php?section=reports&event=view&action=full_report&id=203987

Limit flooding in Lafitte by method 2 which will minimize north flow of diversion

http://www.louisianasportsman.com/lpca/index.php?section=reports&event=view&action=full_report&id=204125

Global warming and 8 years of flooding with possible future diversion decisions

http://www.louisianasportsman.com/lpca/index.php?section=reports&event=view&action=full_report&id=204163

A return to natural marshes

http://www.louisianasportsman.com/lpca/index.php?section=reports&event=view&action=full_report&id=203823

Reviewed mud pumping for wetlands with some thoughts

http://www.louisianasportsman.com/lpca/index.php?section=reports&event=view&action=full_report&id=203995

Recent report of diversions and key considerations seasonal operation list,

Case Study: Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion

http://www.louisianasportsman.com/lpca/index.php?section=reports&event=view&action=full_report&id=203827

Great way to get rid of crazy ants. Tried it and worked perfect in a few days, also place cotton dip mixture in yard.

http://www.food.com/recipe/get-rid-of-ants-ants-ants-203233.

Range map

http://mississippientomologicalmuseum.org.msstate.edu/images/antphotos/Nylanderia_fulva_distributionMap.jpg

Fire ants vrs crazy ants

WHO WINS: RED ANTS VS BLACK ANTS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTZf1qETlVE'

Crazy Ants' Driving out Fire Ants in South

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HNf0VSUzQY

Restoration links:
Limit flooding in Lafitte by method 2 which will minimize north flow of diversion .
http://www.louisianasportsman.com/lpca/index.php?section=reports&event=view&action=full_report&id=204125

Updated, immediately add canal. Growth of a diversion resulting in a true natural process and will prevent marsh drowning
http://www.louisianasportsman.com/lpca/index.php?section=reports&event=view&action=full_report&id=204090

Your vote on wetlands restoration:
1. Diversions with studies to prevent dead zones in marshes associated with diversions and also mud pumping
2. Diversions without studies to prevent dead zones in marshes associated with diversions and also mud pumping
3. Others please explain

Your vote on best general method of mud pumping concepts:
A. Fill in wetlands above water level with hi-land plants growing and as the land sinks add marsh grass. This would be costly with a long time for marshes to form but land is formed immediately.
B. Dredge lengths of wetlands and deposit the material along the length of path creating land. This seems to be less costly than 1. Land is immediately formed with hi-land plants. the ditches would be without underwater life on the surface and would this be a concern? If the land is not built too high eventually marshes would form.
C. Dredge a large circular path with material deposited along the circle and land is immediately formed also have several inlets and outlets. This may be less costly than above, the area in the middle is un-disturbed with marsh forming in most of the middle from suspended sediment diversions and the immediate benefit of land is present.
D. Others please explain.

Seems like there are 3 mud pumping concepts? And concept 3 may, in general, be best.
Concepts:
1. Fill in wetlands above water level with hi-land plants growing and as the land sinks add marsh grass. This would be costly with a long time for marshes to form but land is formed immediately.
2. Dredge lengths of wetlands and deposit the material along the length of path creating land. This seems to be less costly than 1. Land is immediately formed with hi-land plants. the ditches would be without underwater life on the surface and would this be a concern? If the land is not built too high eventually marshes would form.
3. Dredge a large circular path with material deposited along the circle and land is immediately formed also have several inlets and outlets. This may be less costly than above, the area in the middle is un-disturbed with marsh forming in most of the middle from suspended sediment diversions and the immediate benefit of land is present.

This concern is regarding lack of knowledge about river dangers when tubing.

I heard of 3 drownings in the Bogue Chitto River in the last 4 months with the last drowning being a young boy from an area not close to the tubing areas, Plaquemine La. People near rivers, where there is tubing, may know the dangers but people from other areas do not know these dangers. When people from other areas visit or go camping in the Florida Parishes and tube the rivers the chance of drowning increases greatly because of this lack of knowledge.

***

14-year-old boy drowns in Bogue Chitto River near Isabel

http://www.gobogalusa.com/articles/2010/07/14/news/doc4c3d1e6922512680693387.txt

By Richard Meek

The Daily News

Published/Last Modified on Wednesday, July 14, 2010 8:10 AM CDT

...A 14-year-old boy from Plaquemine drowned in a tubing accident on the Bogue Chitto River on Friday afternoon, said Chief Deputy Scott Blair of the Washington Parish Sheriffs Office...

***

Many think tubing is safe because they see others going tubing but this is not true because the river dangers exist even where businesses runs tubing operations. The State should have a law requiring tubing businesses to:

1. Post information as a sign in a very obvious location in their business.

Please see tubing dangers site for sign information.

http://tubingdanger.webs.com/

2. Teach a required Tubing Safety Class in the business before riding to the tubing site. The class should be a State pre recorded video addressing tubing safety and before the video is shown the business should state refunding of tickets if someone chooses not to tube.

The sign should be a State sign or a sign with words designed by the State. These suggestions are only a starter and may need revising and if some of the suggestions can be initiated then I believe lives will be saved. Note: Each tubing site has different dangers and the sign/video should be tailored for each river.

A rescue video is at the below link.

Rescue 911 - Episode 219 - 'River-Tubing Rescue' (Part 1)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cv_16QVVsug

It is very informative for witnessing the dangers of rivers and is a re enactment of one almost drowning but lives and he is in good health after the experience. This re enactment is in clear water where the rescuers can see how to help one. Louisiana does not have clear water and making it impossible to dive and save someone...

Ken

Please see below link showing an important issue about wildlife friendly culverts. I looked at my state Louisiana and summarized my findings. Louisiana and many other states address fish friendly culverts but do not seem to address wildlife friendly culverts. Picture text may be too small to read. The site first link has a larger picture that can be read easily.
Ken

http://wildlfc.webs.com/