In a decade marked by both extreme drought in the West and severe soaking storms in the East, wetlands are important ecosystems that can help provide solutions in both extremes–now they are at risk.
ASLA 2020 Student General Design Honor Award. The Siltcatcher: A Sediment-Capture System for Wetland Creation and Coastal Protection in Western Lake Pontchartrain. Andrew Wright, Student ASLA, Faculty Advisor: Brendan Harmon, ASLA. Louisiana State UniversityToday the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling that weakens the Clean Water Act. The American Society of Landscape Architect’s CEO, Torey Carter-Conneen issued the following statement:
“At a time when we should be doing more to protect our nation’s water, the Court instead undermines the Clean Water Act that has been in place for more than 50 years. This short-sighted decision ignores science and the well-documented hydrological understanding of the interconnection of water sources. In a decade marked by both extreme drought in the West and severe soaking storms in the East, wetlands are important ecosystems that can help provide solutions in both extremes–now they are at risk.
“This decision will impact communities who can least afford to bear the burden while polluters leverage this new loophole for short term gains at the expense of water quality and biodiversity.
“Landscape architects will continue to lead in implementing nature-based solutions and other design techniques that protect water quality and create thriving communities and economies.”