NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.

This study was supported by Cooperative Agreement No. 2512-03-01 and Cooperative Agreement No. 435-300458 between the National Academy of Sciences and the State of Louisiana with support from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the organizations or agencies that provided support for the project.

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 2006920074

Cover: Images of the cypress swamp and navigation canal were provided by Dr. Donald Davis of Louisiana State University.