Stewards in the Land of Abundance
Sportsmen’s Stake in Paradise

Single blades of cordgrass cannot turn back a hurricane, but many standing together quell storm surge and moderate waves.

Similarly, no one person or single agency can reverse coastal land loss; protection and restoration of the sportsman’s paradise require the dedication and participation of all stakeholders.

Sportsmen are realizing the importance of their role in addressing Louisiana’s coastal crisis. By promoting public support for restoration, embracing inevitable change, and working through organizations to make a difference on the ground, they are doing their part to save paradise.

Sportsmen and State Team Up to Rebuild Reef

Plentiful trout and redfish have made Lake Pelto a favorite among local fishermen, says John Walther, who’s fished the area most of his life. Since 2002 the day’s catch has increased, thanks to an artificial reef he and other members of the Coastal Conservation Association–Louisiana (CCA) helped build on the site of a sunken barrier island.

Delivered to the Bird Island site by barge, limestone pieces 1.5 inches in diameter were scattered across an area 200 feet square to form an artificial reef. "If we used larger pieces, that could pose problems for shrimp nets," says Rick Kasprzak of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.
Courtesy of CCA-Louisiana

“Working with the technical experts of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF), we hoped to improve recreational fishing by restoring habitat,” says Walther, who as president of the CCA’s Houma chapter led fundraising efforts for the project.

In March 2002, some 4,200 tons of golf ball-sized chunks of limestone were placed at the former site of Bird Island, creating a one-acre reef two to three feet high. “This reef provides hard-structure habitat, which is a vital part of the marine food chain,” explains Rick Kasprzak, LDWF artificial reef coordinator. “It provides a substrate for algae and soft corals, which attract invertebrates like crabs and shrimp — preferred food for speckled trout, redfish, spotted sea trout, and other popular game fish.”

Ambitious Effort Aims to Restore Storm-Ravaged Habitat

Hurricane-driven debris litters the Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary, endangering the fragile habitat that has made this region a premier destination for birding enthusiasts.

“Toys, signs, swing sets, wedding pictures, the whole back seat of a charter fishing rig — the amount and variety of debris is mind-boggling,” says Joni Blanchard, coordinator of volunteers for the Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program (BTNEP). Since spring, teams of BTNEP volunteers have combed the area, hauling away debris and clearing bayous clogged by fallen trees.

Courtesy of Joni Blanchard, BTNEP

This summer, a grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to BTNEP and the Gulf of Mexico Foundation will expand clean-up efforts by supplying volunteers with chainsaws, trimmers, safety equipment, food, water and sunscreen. “Bulldozing the area might be faster, but that would destroy this unique ecosystem,” Blanchard explains. “This way, we preserve prime habitat for migratory birds and restore an important resource for the thousands of visitors who come here to fish, canoe and tour the bayous.”

Debris littering the ground can prevent migrating birds from spotting food and fresh water, says Joni Blanchard. "Clearing away debris also allows new vegetation to take root, replacing trees and shrubs destroyed by the storms."
Courtesy of Joni Blanchard, BTNEP

Due to hurricanes, erosion and subsidence, Louisiana’s natural oyster reef habitat is disappearing. “To maintain our fisheries, we must replace that habitat,” says Kasprzak. “By working with local sportsmen, we can identify locations where reefs are most needed and would be most utilized.”

Buoyed by the success at Bird Island, the CCA and the LDWF have undertaken a second reef project in Vermilion Bay and have begun planning a project for the Lake Charles area. The LDWF has also formed reef-building partnerships with the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation, the Recreational Fishing Research Institute, the Louisiana Wetland Association and other organizations. “Recreational fishermen’s groups are a natural fit for projects like these, because anyone who fishes has a stake in providing habitat for game species,” says Walther. “If we don’t maintain that habitat in Louisiana’s inshore waters, the fisheries will decline.”

Installed in October 2005, water control structures at Pointe-aux-Chenes Wildlife Management Area in Terrebonne Parish reestablish the marsh's natural hydrology, improving conditions for the marsh plants favored by waterfowl.
Courtesy of Ducks Unlimited

Ducks for Generations

“We did it because we wanted ducks to be around for our kids,” Jeff DeBlieux says of building the Ensminger-Songe Wetlands Unit in the Pointe-aux-Chenes Wildlife Management Area. “Guys who hunt in Terrebonne Parish have watched the wetlands change year by year — first this corner vanished, then that corner. The ponds were getting bigger and bigger. Now we’ve restored 5,000 acres of marsh, prime waterfowl habitat, and it’s open to the public at no charge.”

As the chairman of the local chapter of Ducks Unlimited (DU), DeBlieux was closely involved in the project conceived decades ago by Allan Ensminger and Lloyd Songe, Sr., two employees of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF). The idea sat on the shelf until four years ago when Ducks Unlimited formed a coalition to make the two men’s vision a reality.

Having worked successfully with DU in the past, the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources was pleased to participate in this project and pledged to cover a significant percentage of the construction cost, augmenting a grant from the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA). DU raised additional funds from private businesses and individuals. “Citizens, businesses, sporting clubs, the media — the entire community was behind the project,” DeBlieux says.

In a healthy coastal wetland, large areas of marsh grass are interspersed with ponds. That mix of land and water provides important habitat for wintering waterfowl and other wetland-dependent wildlife.
Courtesy of Ducks Unlimited

The project improved water flow in the degraded marsh by building a protective levee and installing four structures that permit egress of fresh water but block entry of wind- and wave-driven salt water. Submerged aquatic vegetation flourishes in the restored area, and in time, highly productive, shallow ponds will replace open water. The LDWF will manage the unit to maintain excellent habitat for wintering waterfowl.