LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) — The Atchafalaya Basin Keeper is hosting a public meeting tonight in Lafayette to address sedimentation issues in the Atchafalaya Basin.

Officials from Lafayette and St. Martin Parishes are gathering at the South Regional Library to discuss the impact of sedimentation on flood protection in the basin.

News 10 spoke to the executive director of the Atchafalaya Basin Keeper, Dean Wilson, about the importance of preserving the historic river.

“It is crucial not only for the future of Louisiana, but also the future of the nation,” said Wilson.

Wilson says the Basin is facing a growing crisis due to built up sedimentation. He adds that this is due to ongoing projects in the Basin by the state and the United States Army Corps of Engineers, one of those being the ongoing lawsuit with the East Grand Lake Project.

“Projects by the Corps and by the state that produce river water full of sand and silt directly into the wetlands create deltas and destroy wetlands,” said Wilson.

A proposal has been submitted to the state’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority to address the sedimentation problem. This proposal is supported by various groups, including the Cajun Fishermen, LCPA West and five parishes: Lafayette, St. Martin, St. Landry, Iberville and Assumption.

Wilson stressed the importance of managing the basin’s flood capacity, noting that once it is lost, it cannot be restored. He says the end goal of the meeting is to ensure the Basin will be managed for years to come.

“The problem is when you lose the full capacity you cannot go back in time and restore it,” said Wilson. “Once flood capacity is lost, it’s lost forever.”

The meeting underscores the urgency of addressing sedimentation in the Atchafalaya Basin to ensure its long-term management and protection. The involvement of multiple parishes and organizations highlights the widespread concern over the basin’s future.

The meeting will be held at the South Regional Library in Lafayette from 6-7:30 p.m. Everyone is welcome to attend.

All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by KLFY. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by KLFY staff before being published.

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