Planning for integrated management of the atchafalaya River basin: natural system vability and policy constraints
Resource uses and associated modification of the hydrologic regime have resulted in a level of conflict that can only be resolved through integrated management. At stake are the function of the basin as floodway, the biological values of the last major overflow hardwood system in the Lower Mississippi Valley, and a potential 350 miles2 of deltaic wetlands. Conflicts between flood control and natural resource requirements are augmented by additional stress related to agricultural, industrial, and urban development; navigation; and oil and gas extraction. The need for integrated management was expressed in 1972 through a Congressional mandate directing development of a comprehensive plan for the preservation of water and land related resources of the Atchafalaya basin. A number of important conclusions can be drawn from participation in this planning process. These include that integrated river basin management is viable if 1) it is based on the understanding of operative processes and the recognition of resultant opportunities and constraints, 2) participation of all relevant agencies and interest groups is achieved, and 3) the goal of integrated management transcends that of individual project implementation. Obstacles in the planning program and subsequent implementation are a result of policy rather than technology
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| Format: | biblioteca |
| Published: |
Minneapolis, Minn. (EUA)
1981
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| Subjects: | MANEJO DE CUENCAS, CUENCA RIO ATCHAFALAYA, ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMERICA, |
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