Conservation in Louisiana
Louisiana is part of the Mississippi Flyway and provides important winter habitat for waterfowl that are produced in the Prairie Pothole Region and Great Lakes states. In most years, the coastal marshes of Louisiana regularly hold half of the wintering duck population of the Mississippi Flyway. South Louisiana comprises an important portion of the Gulf Coast. Historically, coastal marshes of Louisiana provided reliable, high quality habitat for millions of pintails, gadwalls, wigeon, and green-winged teal. DU has worked to conserve over 240,000 acres of waterfowl habitat throughout Louisiana. Our goal is to perpetually secure habitat and the future of Louisiana as a key wintering area for migratory waterfowl in North America. Your support of DU will help us achieve that goal.
Louisiana Habitat Projects
Mississippi Alluvial Valley
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Marsh Terraces as a Conservation Practice
Recently, Hurricane Rita struck southwestern Louisiana. Marsh management infrastructure, especially perimeter protection of interior marsh, was damaged and will need to be repaired to protect these marshes from saltwater. However, the terraces constructed in interior marshes were not significantly impacted. In fact, the terraces appear to have had some unanticipated, potentially beneficial, effects. Hurricane Rita literally scoured and ripped up large areas of marsh. Some of this vegetation and its attached soil were captured by terraces and deposited in broken marsh areas. It is likely that the vegetation deposited in the terraced marshes by Rita is dead or will die, but it also seems probable that the soil and other organic debris may increase marsh elevations and allow establishment of emergent vegetation that will aid in the marsh building process in these broken marshes...
Ducks Unlimited & Partners Dedicate Their First Restored Wetland Since Hurricanes Katrina & Rita
HOUMA, La., December 14, 2005 – Ducks Unlimited joined a coalition of state, local, and federal partners, and private supporters today at the Pointe-aux-Chenes Wildlife Management Area in Terrebonne Parish to dedicate the first restored wetland since Hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated the region.
“We’re here today to celebrate a wetland brought back to life by concerned citizens and powerful partnerships,” said DU President, Jim Hulbert. “This is what it’s all about – putting habitat back where it belongs, not just because waterfowl and wildlife need it, but because people need wetlands too, for water, flood control, hurricane protection, recreation and so many other reasons. Wetlands have endless value to all of us, and it’s good to be part of restoring these valuable habitats...”
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