Ducks Unlimited and PepsiCo have joined forces to restore wetlands and watersheds in California, Kansas, and Texas. PepsiCo Beverages North America (PBNA) and PepsiCo Foods North America (PFNA) together awarded DU over $1.6 million in project funds, which DU will use to conserve wetland habitats in all three states. These projects will also help improve water quality and provide places for people to pursue outdoor recreation.

PepsiCo is focused on improving operational and agricultural water-use efficiency and local water replenishment, as well as public education and advocacy for smart water policies, regulations, and adoption of best practices with key partners in the community.

In California, PFNAs investment of $625,000 in the San Luis National Wildlife RefugeEast Bear Creek project will restore up to 490 acres of seasonal wetland habitats by constructing levees and installing new water-control structures to expand the existing wetland footprint.

In Kansas, a contribution from PBNA will improve wildlife habitats and increase water replenishment along the Arkansas River. On private lands within the watershed, 500 acres of wetlands, 140 acres of riverine habitat, and 960 acres of native prairie, including 18 miles of river habitat, will be restored.

PBNA also allocated $840,000 to construct approximately 206 acres of new wetlands within the Richland Creek Wildlife Management Area in Texas. Water from the Trinity River will flood the wetland complex during winter, providing habitat for a variety of waterfowl and other bird species as well as recreational benefits. When winter is over, water from the wetlands will be released back into the Trinity River, improving water quality and quantity to help meet the growing water-supply needs of the DallasFort Worth region.