Grand Isle Sinking – Steven Estopinal – September 30
On Tuesday, September 30, 2014, the members of the Rotary Club of Thibodaux had the privilege of meeting Stephen V. Estopinal, who spoke to the us on the unfortunate plight of Grand Isle and the entire fading coastal area of Louisiana.
Mr. Estopinal is well-versed in coastal erosion as he is currently the division manager of surveying for the SJB Group, L.L.C. in Baton Rouge. He is also the President of the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority East and has authored two books on the topic of surveying.
Estopinal showed us areas in St. Bernard Parish–where land once held railroad tracks for busy commerce—which are now immersed in three feet of water. He explained that in New Orleans new highways are being built because the old highways are submerged.
Estopinal addressed the fading coast in our beloved Grand Isle. NOAA, the federal agency that monitors sea level, says that Grand Isle has lost 1.32 inches of elevation to the Gulf of Mexico in the past five years, a rate of subsidence about 4 times faster than any other coastline. It is projected that in the year 2060 most of the land will be gone due to subsidence. As Estopinal explained, Grand Isle is sinking at a rate of 9.2 millimeters a year, a rate equivalent to produce a change of 3.03 feet in 100 years.
There are many reasons that the land areas experience subsidence. One reason is the plate theory wherein the plates of the Earth are getting thinner and lower. Also, during the Ice Age, waters from melting ice brought many materials that stacked upon the soil and caused compression. New material over time has also compounded upon the compression of the soil. Further, minerals underneath the land and fault lines that move under the land also cause subsidence. In our coastal areas, clay fault lines are often moving and slipping.
What are the solutions for subsidence? As of right now, there are none. Mr. Estopinal stressed that Thibodaux and the surrounding areas need to consider and address the issues associated with subsidence before it is too late.
