Partners Break Ground on Project To Save Louisiana Marshes

Gathered beneath a tent on a small bridge, State leaders commented on the missing marsh that used to lie not far from their feet, now replaced by lapping water.

In an effort to save remaining marsh from the same fate, elected officials and community leaders celebrated the groundbreaking of a $1.7 million project intended to restore 4,700 acres of marsh within the Pointe-aux-Chenes Wildlife Management Area.

The project is part of a nationwide push for Ducks Unlimited coastal projects.

Ducks Unlimited secured a $1 million North American Wetlands Conservation Act grant to construct the project. The federal grant program funds projects to protect and restore habitat for waterfowl and other wildlife.

Chad Manlove, conservation planning manager for Ducks Unlimited, said the Pointe-aux-Chenes project is receiving the maximum amount the program allots for a single project.

Money also came from a $100,736 Ducks Unlimited contribution and $600,000 from the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources. Other project sponsors include the North American Wetlands Conservation Council, the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Department, Terrebonne Parish government, Apache Louisiana Minerals Inc., Burlington Resources, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Work began on the project in late January and should be complete by October or November, said Stephen Smith of T. Baker Smith & Son, the Houma civil-engineering firm awarded the contract for the project.

The goal is to restore marsh and underwater plant growth to benefit wildlife in the area managed by the State Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.

To accomplish this, the project will imitate the area's original hydrology, using a levee and three water-control structures. The structures will control water and salt levels.

The management area once contained more freshwater wetlands. Now, the marsh is considered brackish and has increasing amounts of open water.

Due to common land-loss culprits, such as canals and subsidence, salt water now has easier access to the area, with high-energy tides rushing in and out at quick speeds, Courville said. The tides assault the marsh with heavy doses of salt water, damaging marsh grass that holds soil together. When the tide goes out, it drags the loose soil with it.

"The project features try to mimic how things used to be," before saltwater intrusion ravaged the area, he said.

"I think we can make a tremendous impact to the north of this area," said Randy Hanchey, deputy secretary of the State Department of Natural Resources. "I hope this project moves ahead quickly."

"I think it's great," said Lloyd Songe of Montegut, who served as the first manager of the wildlife area for the State Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.

During a ceremony this month, the group celebrated the Pointe-aux-Chenes Hydrologic Restoration Project, led by Ducks Unlimited, which is centered on conserving and restoring habitats for wildlife, particularly waterfowl. The project represents the organization's most significant so far in Terrebonne Parish and the surrounding area and one of the largest Ducks Unlimited projects in the State, according to Ducks Unlimited regional biologist Chad Courville.

Courville said the project could also improve fishing.

"If the habitat's there, the wildlife will come," he said.

Story by Laura McKnight, Tuscaloosa News.