1. The Netherlands is a country that was basically created through a process of coastal levee building and land reclamation. Look at the Netherlands on Google Earth©. What does its coastline look like and how does it compare with the coast of Southeast Louisiana?
2. Using Google Earth©, look at Bayou Grand Liard (hint: search for “bayou grand liard”). What does the ridge restoration project at this site look like? If you zoom in, can you see the borrow areas? What other human-made features can you see?
3. Using Google Earth©, zoom in on the Phillips 66 refinery just south of Belle Chasse in Plaquemines Parish (hint: search for “phillips 66 belle chasse”). The Long Distance Sediment Pipeline begins just North of the refinery, emptying into the Barataria Basin about 7 miles southwest of the plant. Find all of the features you can that are associated with wetland restoration projects. Why do you think sediment is being pumped into the locations that it is?
4. Using Google Earth©, zoom in on Isle de Jean Charles. What do the wetlands that surround the settlement look like? Are there human-made features that may be partly responsible for the loss of land?
5. Using Google Earth©, look at the Mekong River Delta in Vietnam (hint: search “mekong river delta”). What differences do you see with the Mississippi River delta? Do you see evidence of a levee protection system? How are human settlements arranged in relation to the river?