Do you mean that restoring cheniers could enhance hurricane protection?
Graves: Absolutely. Restoration and protection are complementary processes. Consider how a healthy marsh helps to shield a levee from erosion on a daily basis and is crucial to reducing surges and wave energy during storms. And during Hurricane Rita we saw how a rebuilt beach limited erosion of an adjacent chenier that was shielding inland marshes from storm surge. These are examples of how restoration can enhance protection. But it works the other way, too. We can design protective structures to provide the hydrologic functions essential for restoration. For example, suppose we built a levee and wanted to restore a marsh to reduce erosion on its seaward side. By incorporating a gated, freshwater diversion in the levee structure, we could provide the flow of water necessary to nourish and maintain the marsh. In this single design we can derive both protective and restorative benefits. Hurricane protection and coastal restoration are so closely connected that the state of Louisiana has
