Ferriday resident makes significant contributions to Catahoula Lake restoration

ALEXANDRIA, La., October 25, 2007 – Waterfowl habitat on Catahoula Lake in central Louisiana has improved tremendously since 1996 thanks in no small part to Hugh Bateman. Ducks Unlimited honored his efforts at a ceremony on Wednesday by dedicating the Catahoula Lake Hugh Anderson Bateman Tribute Project. Bateman dedicated his career to restoring the lake and ensuring it maintains international importance to migratory water birds.

Ducks Unlimited biologists, friends and partners celebrate Bateman’s contributions. From left to right: Allen Ensminger, Jimmy Emfinger, Richard Yancey, Richard Wells, Hugh Bateman, Robert Helm.

“Hugh has worked tirelessly to help conserve this great wetland and ecological treasure of Louisiana. He was the driving force in securing private and government grants, donations of chemicals and GIS imagery surveys to aid restoration efforts,” said Ducks Unlimited Director of Conservation Programs Jerry Holden.

Since 1996, federal, state and private organizations worked to reclaim Catahoula Lake’s forage base for wintering waterfowl. Unless controlled, undesirable woody vegetation will eventually dominate the 25,000 acre lake, eliminating production of seed and tuber-producing plants that are valuable waterfowl food plants. 

“In the late 1990’s, I could see that the lake was in trouble,” said Bateman. “I wanted to help ensure the viability of Catahoula Lake as a haven for waterfowl and wildlife as well as maintain the recreational opportunities Louisiana families have enjoyed here for generations.”

In 1996, Bateman served as administrator of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries when he took charge of the vegetation control project and signed the first of many agreements to save Catahoula Lake. He continued efforts to restore the lake after his retirement from the department when he went to work as the Director of Conservation Programs in Louisiana for Ducks Unlimited.

“The organizational efforts for this immense project are staggering. It took several years of surveying, research, plant analysis, plot building, bush hogging, tree removal, grant writing and physical labor to begin to see positive change,” said Holden.

Ducks Unlimited and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries erected a marker near the diversion canal in the lake to commemorate Bateman’s dedication to the project.

With more than a million supporters, Ducks Unlimited is the world’s largest and most effective wetland and waterfowl conservation organization with almost 12 million acres conserved. The United States alone has lost more than half of its original wetlands - nature’s most productive ecosystem - and continues to lose more than 80,000 wetland acres each year.
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Contact person: Jennifer P. Kross
Communications Biologist
701-202-8896
jkross@ducks.org

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