Why the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion Project Failed

What happens when billion-dollar environmental engineering relies on broken models? Dr. Dennis Truax sits down with veteran civil engineer Dennis Lambert to unpack the collapse of the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion Project once positioned as a flagship solution to Louisiana’s land loss crisis.

This episode explores how major discrepancies in sediment modeling, bypassed permitting requirements, and a failure to ground truth assumptions led to the project’s downfall. Lambert shares firsthand insights from decades in water resources, along with the professional and ethical questions engineers must confront when science is sidelined for speed.

📌 Topics include:

• DELFT3D vs ADH modeling results (20,000 acres vs 7,000)

• The role of NEPA, floodplain permits, and bypassed checks

• Sediment transport theory vs reality on the Mississippi River

• The balance between environmental ambition and engineering accuracy