The Atchafalaya Swamp is currently facing multiple threats. One major difficulty is that siltation is turning the swamp into a forest. Silt, which is kind of like mud, plugs the water so that the swamp floods. The plants, suddenly submerged, die and the water rises, covering the other plants. Soon, the whole swamp is flooded and all the plants are dead.
The next problem is that people are logging in the swamp, mainly to provide cypress mulch. The logging kills the trees in the swamp. Therefore other plants that need the cover of the trees to grow wilt and die and the animals that live under the trees suddenly find themselves vulnerable to predators.
The last problem is that lack of enforcement of our environmental laws allows illegal loggers, unaware recreation boats, and uncaring oil drillers to make their way into the swamp and do their nasty business right there in plain sight without anyone lifting a finger to stop them.
