Amid the many crises southern Louisiana faces, one that is often overlooked is the declining health of the Atchafalaya Basin. A vast area of wetlands that stretches from Simmesport in central Louisiana to Morgan City about 140 miles to the south, where it empties into the Gulf, would seem hard to ignore. But that, sadly, seems to be what has been happening.
It’s anchored by Baton Rouge to the east and Lafayette to the west, and the only time many city dwellers think about the basin is when crossing the infamous 18.2-mile bridge that connects the two cities. It isn’t often in the discussion of our state’s priorities.
That could change when a panel created by the state Legislature starts looking at the threats facing the area. The Joint Legislative Committee on Atchafalaya Basin Water Quality will hear from public and private interests concerned about the future of hunting, fishing and economic activity in the area. It was supposed to meet earlier this month at the State Capitol, but failed to reach a quorum. That’s unfortunate. We hope that doesn’t indicate that the basin is once again on the cusp of being forgotten…