Conservation - Restoring the Delta

By Matt Young

In the Lower Mississippi Valley, DU is working to create a healthier environment for wildlife and people Created by the restless wanderings of this continent's greatest river, the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley, commonly known as the Delta, spans 24 million acres in seven states from southern Illinois to the Gulf of Mexico.

America's Amazon, this storied region owes its remarkable productivity to the great river that once seasonally flooded the surrounding alluvial valley, depositing a thick layer of rich black soil and providing habitat for millions of wintering waterfowl and other wildlife. In total, the Delta harbors more than 500 wildlife species, including rare Louisiana black bears, southern bald eagles, interior least terns, and wood storks.

During the past century, however, the ecology of the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley has been changed drastically by drainage and the expansion of agriculture. Today, only 20 percent of the region's original network of forested wetlands remains, mostly in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Arkansas. The loss of these critical habitats has not only had a devastating impact on waterfowl, fish, and other wildlife, it has also resulted in increased flooding, soil erosion, and nonpoint source pollution, which has contributed to declining water quality in the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico.

During years with less-than-normal rainfall, there may be insufficient feeding and resting habitat in the valley to meet the wintering needs of mid-continent waterfowl populations, thus forcing the birds to venture farther south and west. In a study supported by the August A. Busch, Jr. Memorial Fund, scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey and Ducks Unlimited examined body weights of mallards taken by waterfowlers in Arkansas during the exceptionally dry winters of 1999-2000 and 2000-2001.

The researchers found that declines in mallard body weights from early to late winter were among the highest yet observed. Other research indicating that the abundance of waste grain in harvested rice fields may have declined is further evidence of the need for expanded habitat conservation efforts in the region.

The Restoring the Delta initiative, launched in 1999, is dedicated to creating healthier landscapes across the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley for waterfowl, other wildlife, and people. Through this initiative, DU is working with government agencies, corporations, organizations, foundations, and thousands of private landowners to flood harvested croplands during the winter months, enhance moist-soil and forested wetlands, and restore bottomland hardwoods.

DU also is permanently protecting existing wildlife habitats by accepting donated conservation easements from landowners desiring to protect the ecological health of this region. In support of these efforts, DU and its partners are conducting a variety of research on biological, economic, and social issues affecting conservation in the region, and are working to educate the public about the importance of conserving these critical wildlife habitats.