Management practices on the Mississippi River have reduced the amount of sediment in the river by approximately half. Some have questioned whether the current sediment load in the river is sufficient for restoration of the delta. The Mississippi River does not now, nor has it ever supplied enough sediment to continuously sustain the entire Mississippi Delta coastline. Nevertheless, the available sediment supply is still huge, and so we must use this

River deltas have been a preferred human habitat due to their high productivity, rich biodiversity, and easy transport along abundant waterways. It has been argued that deltas fostered the development of civilizations. However, deltas are fragile geomorphic features that can change dramatically with modest modifications in environmental conditions. Intensive human development, population growth, and recent global changes are transforming deltas into