one football field every 90 to 100 minutes. This equates to approximately 16 to 34 square miles of wetlands disappearing into open water annually. Since the 1930s, the state has lost over 2,000 square miles of land, driven by levee construction, oil/gas infrastructure, and sea-level rise.
Key details regarding Louisiana's land loss include:
The Metaphor: The "football field every hour/90 minutes" is a common analogy used to describe the rapid, consistent rate of coastal erosion, popularised by the America's Wetland Foundation and cited by the US Geological Survey (USGS).
Total Loss: Since 1932, Louisiana has lost roughly 1,900 to 2,000 square miles of land, an area comparable in size to Delaware.
Causes: Key drivers include sediment deprivation due to Mississippi River levees, oil and gas drilling activities, subsidence (sinking land), and sea-level rise.
Future Impact: Estimates suggest that without intervention, another 700 square miles could be lost by 2040.
While some years see higher losses due to hurricanes (e.g., Hurricane Ida in 2021), the overall trend indicates a steady decline in coastal land area
