Land erosion

As its land washes away, Grand Bayou Indian Village has partnered with the Coalition for Coastal Louisiana to build an oyster reef. The tribe wants to slow land loss and learn to live with water at the same time.

Two decades ago, author Mike Tidwell spent months in Louisiana’s Bayou Country, meeting with Cajuns, Vietnamese immigrants and Native Americans who make up the cultural landscape of the region. As he immersed himself in the food, music and traditions of the community, the residents warned him that their culture was at risk of disappearing due to the environmental challenges the state was facing.

The state coastal board on Wednesday unanimously approved the latest iteration of Louisiana’s 50-year, $50 billion plan to combat land loss and protect coastal communities from hurricanes.

A hotter atmosphere is causing rain to fall in harder bursts, pushing back planting seasons and drowning crops. At the same time as human-driven climate change is juicing precipitation, Corn Belt farming practices such as installing underground drainage tiles and leaving fields bare after harvest are changing how water moves across the landscape and into waterways.