Reports
Spanning an array of subjects and formats, The Water Institute’s reports provide an in-depth look at the work we do. Please refer to Our Projects to learn more about individual projects.
2023 Oblique Aerial Photo Assessment of the Louisiana Barrier Shoreline
The Water Institute (the Institute) conducted this study for the CPRA. This report is a project deliverable. It outlines the methods during the acquis...
View PublicationERDC Research Activities in Support of the Engineering with Nature Initiative
This report was developed by The Water Institute (the Institute) for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Engineer Research and Development Center...
View PublicationExploration of Emerging Methods to Assess Equity in USACE Project Planning
The Water Institute has supported the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and Engineering With Nature® (EWN) with policy research to better integrate...
View PublicationSynthesis of Breeding Bird Use of Chandeleur Island, Louisiana
The Water Institute (the Institute) has developed this report for the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority. The Institute team is ma...
View PublicationBorrow Pits on Estuarine Sediment Dynamics, Barataria Bay, Louisiana
The report summarizes the analysis to evaluate the consequences of borrowing sediment from inter-distributary bays in the Mississippi River Delta Plai...
View PublicationLower Coast OCS Offshore Sand Source Survey
The goal of the project was to assist in a multi-agency response to categorizing sediment resources offshore for development of policies and inventori...
View PublicationTexas General Land Office Central Coast Outer Continental Shelf Offshore Sand Source Survey
Through a grant from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), the Texas General Land Office (GLO) contracted Aptim Environmental & Infrastruc...
View PublicationLowermost Mississippi River Management Program Regional Sediment Management Below Venice
The Mississippi River has traditionally been managed separately in a partitioned manner, for navigation, flood risk reduction, and ecosystem restorati...
View PublicationGCECR Kick-Off workshop Report
The Gulf Center for Equitable Climate Resilience (GCECR)1 Kick-Off Workshop was held to expand individual’s and organization’s networks across the nor...
View PublicationSediment Infilling Rate of Lowermost Mississippi River Borrow Pits and Impacts on Downstream Dredging
The work presented in this report uses numerical models and field observations to investigate the governing processes that control borrow pit infilli...
View PublicationDevelopment of a Hydrodynamic Model for Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Borgne to Inform Gulf Sturgeon Habitat Characterization
Gulf sturgeon (Acipenser oxyinchus desotioi) are a sub-species of Atlantic sturgeon (A. o. oxyrinchus) with a range in the northern Gulf of Mexico tha...
View PublicationInter-Model Comparisons Between Physical and Numerical Models
This report was developed by The Water Institute (the Institute) for the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) under Task Order 69 Lower...
View PublicationEnhancing Benefits Evaluation for Water Resources Projects: Toward a More Comprehensive Approach for Nature-Based Solutions
To accelerate progress and delivery of new and enhanced infrastructure projects for navigation, flood risk management, water operations, and ecosystem...
View PublicationLong-term strategic plan for the Capital Area Ground Water Conservation Commission Phase 2A Final Report
The Capital Area Ground Water Conservation Commission engaged The Water Institute to aid in creating a strategic plan for proactive management of the ...
View PublicationGuidance for Coastal Ecosystem Restoration and Monitoring to Create or Improve Bird-Nesting Habitat
More than 100 facilitated calls and working sessions were conducted over a period of more than two years. These conversations included input from bird...
View PublicationU.S. Army Corps of Engineers Research & Redevelopment strategy: Laying the foundation for a new bold era of USACE R&D
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has a trusted history of developing innovative solutions to the Nation’s toughest engineering challenges. Sin...
View PublicationLowermost Mississippi River Management Program
This study was conducted by the Water Institute of The Gulf (the Institute) for the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority of Louisiana (CPRA), ...
View PublicationApplication Plan: Structured Decision Making to Co-Produce an Actionable Science Plan in Support of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama Coastal System Water Quality Management Research
This Application Plan outlines the engagement of the RM working group to guide the development and application of a decision-support and model framewo...
View PublicationResearch and Development Plan: Decision Making to Co-Produce an Actionable Science Plan in Support of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama Coastal System Water Quality Management Research
The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources (MDMR), Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, Alabama Department of Conservation and ...
View PublicationLowermost Mississippi River Management Program Strategies and Scenarios Workplan
This report summarizes a workplan to evaluate how various high-level strategies for managing water and sediment in the Lowermost Mississippi River (LM...
View PublicationEconomic & Policy Analysis of Development Standards & Other Mitigation Activities: Implementation Recommendations
The Louisiana Watershed Initiative seeks to establish a watershed-based approach to flood risk reduction in Louisiana, using scientific tools and data...
View PublicationConsequence Analysis of a Hypothetical Portfolio of Climate Strategies
The Louisiana Climate Initiatives Task Force (Task Force) was established by Governor John Bel Edwards in August 2020 through Executive Order JBE 2020...
View PublicationConsequence Analysis of the Draft Portfolio of Climate Strategies and Actions
The Louisiana Climate Initiatives Task Force (Task Force) was established by Governor John Bel Edwards in August 2020 through Executive Order JBE 2020...
View PublicationLowermost Mississippi River Management Program Strategy and Scenario Development Overview
This technical memorandum first describes the collaborative process used by the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA), the Wat...
View PublicationLA TIG Monitoring and Adaptive Management Strategy
The purpose of the Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group (LA TIG) Monitoring and Adaptive Management (MAM) Strategy is to outline an approach for the...
View PublicationSoutheast Conservation Blueprint Mechanics
The Southeast Conservation Adaptation Strategy (SECAS) was formed in fall 2011 by the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (SEAFWA) ...
View PublicationImproving SECAS Gulf-wide Integration
This technical report summarizes the effort carried out by The Water Institute of the Gulf (“the Institute”) for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (U...
View PublicationApplication of the SECAS Gulf-wide Data Suite in Restoration Planning
The Southeast Conservation Adaptation Strategy (SECAS) was formed in fall 2011 to improve the health, function, and connectivity of southeastern U.S. ...
View PublicationAdvancement of the Southeast Conservation Adaptation Strategy (SECAS) for Project-Scale Planning: Chandeleur Islands (Breton National Wildlife Refuge) Restoration
This study had two primary goals: 1) to develop and evaluate metrics for characterizing the restoration and conservation value of barrier islands that...
View PublicationUnderstanding the Long-Term Evolution of the Coupled Natural-Human Coastal System
The U.S. Gulf of Mexico Coast (hereafter referred to as “the Gulf Coast”) provides a valuable setting to study deeply connected natural and human inte...
View PublicationMechanics of the Southeast Conservation Blueprint
The goal of the Southeast Conservation Adaptation Strategy (SECAS) is to improve the health, function, and connectivity of southeastern ecosystems by ...
View PublicationICM-Wetlands, Vegetation, and Soils Model Improvement
As part of the model improvement effort for the 2023 Coastal Master Plan, the wetland processes captured by the morphology and vegetation models used ...
View PublicationBarrier Island System Management (BISM)
The Barrier Island System Management (BISM) program has been developed by the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) through fa...
View PublicationIdentifying Sediment Sources and Optimizing Placement of Dredge Material to Protect Critical Infrastructure – Port of Lake Charles
This report covers data collection, analysis, and modeling conducted by The Water Institute of the Gulf (the Institute) in the Calcasieu Ship Channel ...
View PublicationScience-based Decision Support for Restoration and Conservation Planning in the Northern Gulf of Mexico
There are currently multiple large mechanisms to support restoration and land conservation in the northern Gulf of Mexico. To ensure that environmenta...
View PublicationNumerical Modeling of the Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama Coastal System (LMACS)
Through the support of NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Restoration Center, the Water Institute of the Gulf ("the Institute”) developed...
View PublicationUrban, Water, and Social Integration Plan for Quilmes
In May 2019, the Baton Rouge Area Foundation approved a $75,000 grant to Tulane University and the Institute to support work in developing a plan to r...
View PublicationA Community-Informed Framework for Quantifying Risk and Resilience in Southeast Louisiana
This study integrates the multi-attributed aspects of coastal risk—economic, social, and environmental—into a unified coastal resilience assessment fr...
View PublicationFinding the Means: Investment and Adaptation in Vulnerable Communities
Facing multiple challenges from rising seas to repetitive flooding, a new issue paper from the Tulane Institute on Water Resources Law & Policy an...
View PublicationMonitoring Plans for Louisiana's System-Wide Assessment and Monitoring Program (SWAMP) Version IV
The purpose of this report is to describe the development of a coastwide monitoring plan for Louisiana with specific implementation recommendations fo...
View PublicationFramework for a Long-term Strategic Plan for the Capital Area Groundwater Conservation Commission
The Capital Area Groundwater Conservation Commission oversees the use of groundwater in six parishes in Louisiana. In carrying out its statutory respo...
View PublicationLouisiana Adaptive Management Status and Improvement Report: Vision and Recommendations
In developing the vision and recommendations for implementation of adaptive management, the Institute gathered experts in adaptive management from the...
View PublicationPlanning for Ecosystem-based adaptation in Taveuni, Fiji
This synthesis report provides an overview of the first seven steps used to identify, prioritise, and implement ecosystem-based adaptation projects in...
View PublicationPlanning for ecosystem-based adaptation in Honiara, Solomon Islands
This synthesis report provides an overview of the first seven steps involved to identify, prioritise, and implement ecosystem-based adaptation project...
View PublicationPlanning for ecosystem-based adaptation in Port Vila, Vanuatu
This synthesis report provides an overview of the first seven steps involved to identify, prioritise, and implement ecosystem-based adaptation project...
View PublicationDevelopment of Real Time Forecasting System
Real-Time Forecasting tools that use weather forecasts and hydrological or coastal numerical models are powerful tools that can provide the opportunit...
View PublicationTransplanting Communities Facing Environmental Change: An Annotated Bibliography on Resettlement
Through hurricanes, floods, oil spills and other hazards, the people of Louisiana’s coast have one of the highest rates in the country of people livin...
View PublicationGeomorphic Evolution of the Coupled Raccoon Pass and West Belle Pass Barrier Spit, Louisiana
Made of the remnants of former Mississippi River Deltas, barrier islands stretch across Louisiana’s coast. As a first line of defense against storm su...
View PublicationAssessing the Cost of Coastal Land Creation Using Dredged Material
This report looks at the number of factors that influence the cost of building coastal land using dredged material and recommends cost-saving measures...
View PublicationCoastwide and Barataria Basin Monitoring Plans for Louisiana's System-Wide Assessment and Monitoring Program (SWAMP)
The purpose of the Coastwide and Barataria Basin Monitoring Plans for Louisiana’s System-Wide Assessment and Monitoring (SWAMP) Version II is to descr...
View PublicationCreating a System-Wide Assessment and Monitoring Program for Coastal Louisiana (SWAMP)
A System-Wide Assessment and Monitoring Program (SWAMP) is being developed to ensure a comprehensive network of coastal data collection activities to ...
View PublicationSynthesis Report Series: Trends in oil and gas infrastructure, ecosystem function, and socioeconomic wellbeing in coastal Louisiana
Understanding historical changes in infrastructure density, ecosystem function, and socioeconomic wellbeing in coastal Louisiana can support better ma...
View PublicationDiversion Expert Panel Report #7
The Expert Panel on Diversion Planning and Implementation (Panel) met for a seventh time on August 31, 2016 with a follow-up discussion on September ...
View PublicationMethodology for Producing a Coastal Louisiana Report Card
The Water Institute of the Gulf, with guidance and input from the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, was tasked to develop methodology for ...
View PublicationDiversion Expert Panel Report #5
The Expert Panel on Diversion Planning and Implementation met for a fifth time on August 4 to provide expert advice to the state on issues pertaining ...
View PublicationScenario Building Workshops
During the spring of 2014, The Water Institute of the Gulf conducted scenario-building workshops to help key stakeholders and coastal communities iden...
View PublicationCPRA Data Management Plan
The Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) creates, consumes, and disseminates large amounts of electronic data during its day-to-day ope...
View PublicationBuilding community and coastal resilience to a changing Louisiana coastline through restoration of key ecosystem functions
Bridging scientific working groups with community input, the “Building community and coastal resilience to a changing Louisiana coastline through rest...
View PublicationDiversion Expert Panel Report #6
The Expert Panel on Diversion Planning and Implementation met for a sixth time on October 27-28, 2016 to provide expert advice to the state on issues ...
View PublicationDiversion Expert Panel Report #2
The Expert Panel on Diversion Planning and Implementation met for a second time from April 29 to May 1, 2014 to provide expert advice to the state on ...
View PublicationExpert Panel on Greater New Orleans Hurricane & Storm Damage Risk Reduction System Design Guidelines
An independent technical peer review was conducted of the design guidelines used to develop the New Orleans Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction ...
View PublicationSWAMP Version III
The purpose of this report is to describe the development of a coast wide monitoring plan for Louisiana with specific implementation recommendations f...
View PublicationAn Approach to Identifying Environmental and Socio-economic Performance Measures for Coastal LA
This report identifies key indicators that can be used to track the progress of CPRA's programs and achieve the goals of restoration and protection de...
View PublicationSocial Impact Assessment Methodology for Diversions and other Louisiana Coastal Master Plan Projects
The Water Institute of the Gulf convened an expert panel to help develop a methodology for conducting social impact assessments for sediment diversion...
View PublicationResearching Uncertainties Related to Sediment Diversions
This project, funded by the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA), focused on the development of a work plan to address critical technic...
View PublicationSWAMP Version I
The System-Wide Assessment and Monitoring Program (SWAMP) has been envisioned as a long-term monitoring program to ensure a comprehensive network of c...
View PublicationLouisiana Coastal Adaptation Toolkit
The Louisiana Coastal Adaptation Toolkit, co-authored by Craig E. Colten and Garrett C. Wolf, is designed as a general reference that provides resourc...
View PublicationDiversion Expert Panel Report #4
The Expert Panel on Diversion Planning and Implementation met for a fourth time from February 11 to February 13, 2015, to provide expert advice to the...
View PublicationRisk Reduction for Water-Based Hazards Latin America & Caribbean
The Water Institute of the Gulf released a report that proposes collaboration among organizations and coastal communities in Louisiana and Latin Ameri...
View PublicationDiversion Expert Panel Report #1
The Expert Panel was organized and established by The Water Institute of the Gulf to provide independent advice as plans are refined for implementing ...
View PublicationInto the Blue 2050
Baton Rouge and the Capital Region possess a tremendous environmental and economic asset in our freshwater resources. If we act now in a collaborative...
View PublicationPeer Review of Analytical Model Technical Reports
As part of development of its 2012 Coastal Master Plan, the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority sponsored the development of a suit...
View PublicationDiversion Expert Panel Report #3
The Expert Panel on Diversion Planning and Implementation met for a third time from October 27 to October 29, 2014 to provide expert advice to the sta...
View PublicationScience and Engineering Plan
This document identifies the principles, goals, and priorities that will govern The Water Institute’s initial research activities for the state of Lou...
View PublicationReview of the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Hurricane Storm Damage Risk Reduction Evaluation (September 2012)
In response to requests from Senator David Vitter and Colonel Ed Fleming, The Water Institute of the Gulf engaged in an ‘over the shoulder review’ of ...
View PublicationAdaptive Management Framework for Coastal Louisiana
The Water Institute of the Gulf, with guidance and input from the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) and from an Adaptive Management ...
View PublicationNational Flood Insurance Program: Impact of the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012
Concern over the changes to the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) imposed by the Biggert-Waters Reform Act of 2012 (BW-12) that likely will impo...
View PublicationFuture Costs of Marsh Creation Projects in Coastal Louisiana
This study looks at how costs of marsh creation can change over time and some of the factors that influence those changes. Done for the Coast Builders...
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