The mixing of salt and fresh water begins offshore, where water, sediment, nutrients, and pollutants from the Mississippi River mix with the salt water of the Gulf of Mexico. Wind and tides drive this mixture, along with fish and shellfish, into these estuaries. Changes at the coast affect water levels and habitats throughout the entire system .
The Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program's challenge is to move forward as good stewards of the natural resources that remain within the estuary complex. The program is focusing on the following issues to effect change and understanding of this complex system.Habitat - Sediment loss, in conjunction with the natural sinking of the marsh, is by far the most significant problem in the estuary. Sea-level rise and erosion also contribute to the problem, as can human activities such as canal dredging and construction of navigation channels. Changes in Living Resources - Approximately 735 species of birds, finfish, shellfish, reptiles, amphibians, and mammals spend all or part of their life cycle in the estuary. Several of the species are either categorized as threatened or endangered. Water Quality -Hydrological modifications are considered the "linchpin" problem of the basins, meaning that they affect all of the basins other problems. When we build levees, dredge canals, or cut through natural ridges, the natural flow of water is changed. Cultural Hertiage - The 602,000 people who live in the estuary trace their hertiage to several continents, they share a common love of this land. Economic Development -Some estuarine goods are assigned values in the economic marketplace, such as the products of the commercial fishing, hunting, and trapping, and aquaculture industries. Other estuary services, such as storm protection and tertiary wastewater treatment, are never explicitly purchased and thus are more difficult to value.
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