|
Wetlands Reserve Program – Louisiana
The floodplain of the Mississippi delta once comprised a vast and unique wetland
ecosystem consisting of bottomland hardwood forests, oxbow lakes, and cypress
swamps. These characteristics, along with the region’s long growing season and
mild winter temperatures, produced extremely diverse habitat for wildlife, including
winter foraging habitat for migratory waterfowl. However, it is estimated that
80% of these bottomland hardwood wetland forests have now been converted. The
Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) in Louisiana emphasizes the restoration and protection
of this delta ecoregion, which contains critical waterfowl habitat.
Accomplishments
Since 1998, Ducks Unlimited has assisted the NRCS with reforestation and hydrology
restoration activities in Louisiana. Accomplishments to date include reforestation
of bottomland hardwoods (i.e., planting of bare-root seedlings) on 36,000
acres enrolled in the WRP. Additionally, hydrology restoration measures
have been completed on approximately 11,000 acres, thus providing valuable
moist-soil habitats for wintering waterfowl.
Benefits 
The Louisiana delta is one of the most intensively farmed regions in the United
States. Several million acres of cotton, rice, soybeans, corn and catfish are
grown annually. Croplands enrolled into WRP are planted to bottomland hardwood
tree species that ultimately filter out sediments and nutrients that would otherwise
end up in the Mississippi River. Reforestation of bottomland hardwood forest
ecosystems is also providing critical habitat for many wildlife species including
white-tailed deer, wild turkeys, and waterfowl.
Louisiana Habitat Projects
|
SRO Links
