LSU Water Campus In our lifetime, we have a chance to restore our coast and reverse the loss of land

we have seen. But if we dont do it, our kids wont have the same opportunity. ~ Governor Bobby Jindal The Louisiana Wetlands are disappearing at an alarmingly fast rate. Every year, 24 square miles are lost, adding up to be 1900 square miles lost since 1932. This amounts to a football field about every 38 minutes. In fact, 40% of all of the United States total wetlands are in Louisiana, but 80% of the loss is in the state. $18 billion has been spent on research aimed towards restoration throughout the past six years. The current project is a research park with both academic and private sector scientists and engineers, called the LSU Water Campus. This campus has the potential to catapult Louisiana into a leader-ship role in coastal restoration and a prime position in the water management industry in North America. ~Stephen Moret, Louisiana Economic Development Secretary The LSU Water Campus is a 27.6 acre river-front research park currently being built that holds the potential to make Louisiana a leader in the Coastal Restoration and Preservation movement. The campus, which was thought up by the Baton Rouge Area foundation, will be bordered by the Mississippi River Bridge, Nicholson Drive, Oklahoma Street and the River. According to the CEO of the BRAF, John Davis, The Mississippi River is one of the premier laboratories in the world. The Water Institute [the research component of the Water Campus] will be doing work not for U.S. entities such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Corps of Engineers but for Sovereigns, such as countries in Latin America. The Water Campus will originally consist of three buildings and will create over 45000 jobs by 2034. This campus will serve not only as a catalyst for the redevelopment of Nicholson Drive, but also as a place that will develop scientific, engineering, and construction expertise related to water management. Having a renowned research facility will give Louisiana quite a bit of leverage in our nations capital. As Greater Baton Rouge Business Report printed, While billions of dollars from a variety of sources are committed to rebuilding Louisianas coast, there is still a fundamental disconnect in terms of getting actual construction dollars from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The Corps of Engineer has been dragging their feet when it comes to actual work, preferring studies. Hopefully this building will give Louisiana leverage in getting projects from the states $50 billion, 50-year Mast Plan for coastal restoration funded by the federal government. Since 2008, the state has spent $18 billion re-building levees and dredging. Louisiana cannot sustain the funding of endless studies. The Corps and Congress must be forced to act. The first phase of the Water Campus consists of three main components. The first component is a $20 million Education and Research center. This center will be built on 11 acres donated by the city including the old city dock and adjacent parcel. Eventually this center will be the home of the Water Institute Offices. It will have a marquee structure. This center will

symbolize the city and states dedication to coastal science. The second phase is a $16 million facility that will house a 90 x 120 ft. model of the lower Mississippi River, one of the most dynamic models of its kind in the world. This model, consisting of over 200 computerized foam panels that will simulate the movement of the river, from Donaldsonville to the Gulf of Mexico, will be a key tool for researchers. It also boasts precisely calibrated synthetic sand which will model sediment movement of the Mississippi. LSU will be in charge of operating the facility, which, according to F. King Alexander, the chancellor, will help [them] to attract top faculty and top graduate students. The third phase is a $9 million coastal research office building for the CPRA and other coastal readers. The state owns the 13.3 acre tract that this building will be erected upon. On behalf of LSU and its more than 200 coastal researchers, we are proud to partner in this endeavor with the Coastal Protection & Restoration Authority to save Louisianas coast. The upgraded Mississippi River Physical Model is a promising step toward identifying real solutions that use the power of the river to address the social needs. As one of only 33 sea-grant colleges nationally, with a dedicated school of the coast and active coastal engineering program, we are committed to the preservation of the coast and the communities it supports. This is how flagship universities work: we bring scientists and policymakers together to develop the best plan for investing precious resources into the lifeblood of our state. ~ F. King Alexander The second phase, ideally, will grow organically with engineering and design forms drawn to the research. Governor Jindal believes that the Water Campus will have a huge demand and that the facility will be greatly utilized. This phase will bring more jobs from out of the state and out of the country, but, most importantly, it will supply opportunities for locals in the area of water management and coastal studies, which is a growing field. There is little competition in the coastal studies field because it is a blue ocean, meaning that it is a relatively untapped economics sector that is ripe for development. The Netherlands also has an institute like this, called Deltares, which has been visited by Louisiana Officials for issues such as flooding. 42% of the firms in the United States that are studying coastal erosion are in Louisiana. With the water campus, this number will certainly grow. The campus will also change the cities relationship to the river. It will extend the life of the city beyond the Mississippi River lodge. In addition to bringing more academics to Louisiana and changing the citys relationship to the river, this institute will also help to develop the Nicholson corridor, which will connect LSU to downtown Baton Rouge. FutureEBR calls for a streetcar line that will run from LSU through the corridor, in front of the water campus, and all the way to downtowns Town Square. This project could cost as much as $60 million, but, with federal grants, will likely cost more like $20 million.

The state is currently getting money from the BP oil spill fund, the Federal Coastal Impact Assistance Program, and Water Research Development Act. However, this is not enough money to sustain all of the projects of the water institute. By bringing together all the top engineers and researchers, it makes it hard for the Federal government to turn Louisiana down for the money needed for this project. In the words of Victor Dover, Science can happen anywhere. But it cant all occur by email. In a campus atmosphere like the one being created on the river front, think how comfortable it will be. What a great feeling to be able to hop up from your desk, go outside, meet a colleague, maybe have a chat over a sandwich. [Members of the] creative class dont want to be in ordinary spaces. They want special space, inspiring locations. These descriptions perfectly describe the Water Campus. Informal exchange is what drives intellectual vitality. It will definitely inspire international collaboration. Resources: Riegel, Stephanie. The Water Campus. Greater Baton Rouge Business Report. 24 Dec 201306 Jan 2014: 28-37. Print. World Class Water Campus to be Built in Downtown Baton Rouge. The Water Institute of the Gulf. The Water Institute of the Gulf, 17 Dec 2013. 5 Feb 2014. < http://thewaterinstitute.org/stay-connected/news/2013/12/17/World-Class-WaterCampus-to-be-Built-in-Downtown-Baton-Rouge>