The Atchafalaya Basin

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The Atchafalaya Basin

• Jonah D. Price April 6, 2005

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Where is the Atchafalaya?

• Its located in Southern Louisiana
• Covers 595,000 acres
• Largest river overflow in North America
• Largest Contiguous forested wetland

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Forested Swamp

• Bottomland Hardwoods

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Threats

• Development, associated with population growth
• Agriculture
• Logging
• Pollution
• Manipulation of river systems

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Disturbances

• Destruction of 3760 acres 1932-1990
• Erosion
• Natural Conversion
• Storm and Hurricanes
• Oil and gas pipelines

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The Army Corps

• The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been
  acquiring land since1988 for several different
  purposes.
• Flood Control Purposes
• Atchafalaya Floodway System
• Wildlife habitat conservation
• Public recreation

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The Atchafalaya Floodway System

• 50,000 acres of the land is in-fee for public
  use.
• They also hope to have 33800 acres on purchase
  easements.
• To date they have approximately only 32,000acres.
• The fee-owned public areas will be opened for
  use.

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Water Flow Through the Basin

• Mississippi River
• Atchafalaya river flows 226,760cfs with a
  sediment load of 88,223000 tons.
• Wax lake takes 38 of the river flow and 35 of
  the sediment.
• Lower Atchafalaya River
• Gulf of Mexico

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Channeling

• Some effects from the channeling are good.
• Increased sediment deposition
• Other effect are dead zones
• Stagnate water which has caused crawfish
  production to go down.

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Sedimentation

• In the Atchafalya Delta exposed land has
  increased from 10,000 acres to 19,000 acres in
  1995.

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Sedimentation Ex.
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Is all this Sedimentation good?

• Plants such as duck potato vegetate the small
  islands (i.e. deltas) and provide excellent
  waterfowl habitat.
• The placement of sediment from dredging make land
  in these areas and that land is proving to be
  good mottled duck habitat for their colonial
  nesting.

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Sedimentation Cont.

• Older islands do move on though and stand of
  willow take hold and have shown to make great
  wading bird rookeries.
• Supplemental planting of oaks on these areas help
  to feed the rising deer population in these areas.

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Disturbances Cont.

• Exotic Species
• Water lettuce
• Water-Milfoil
• Alligator weed
• Water hyacinth (hydrilla)

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Effects of Exotics

• Crowding out of native plants such as frog bit
• The dense mat of some exotic vegetation block out
  some submerged vegetation such as coontail

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Why is the basin important?

• Fecundity three and one half times that of the
  everglades
• 1000 and over pounds of fish per acre
• 70 species of fish
• 100 different types of plants have been
  documented
• 200 species of birds identified
• 60 species of reptiles found

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Why is the Atchafalaya Unique?

• Its a growing delta system
• The wetlands located there are considered nearly
  stable. Wetland loss between 1932-1990 is only
  3760 acres.

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Importance to Birds

• Vital staging area for migratory birds
• Provide food and resources for their long
  flights.
• Breeding Bird Habitat
• One half the migratory species of North America
  flyway use this area each year.

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Migratory Waterfowl

• Internationally Important Bird Area
• American Woodcock
• Wood Ducks

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Public Uses

• 1 in public waterfowl hunting in the nation
• Atchafalaya Delta Wildlife Management Area
• Pleasure boating
• Cultural uses (Chart)

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Public Uses Cont.

• Sport Fishing
• Species Found

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Cultural Uses
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Cultural Uses and Economic Value

• 23 Million Pounds of Crawfish Annually
• Craw fishing is in a way Louisiana cash crop and
  their state symbol.
• Two year of craw fishing in the 70 paid for a
  house and a new truck for craw fisher Roy
  Blanchard.
• Over all its a way of life

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What is Being Done?
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Atchafalaya National Heritage ActPurposes

• (1) to conserve, restore, promote, and interpret
  the significant resource values and functions of
  the Atchafalaya Basin area and advance
  sustainable economic development of the area

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Atchafalaya National Heritage ActPurposes Con.

• (2) to foster a close working relationship with
  all levels of government, the private sector, and
  the local communities in the area so as to enable
  those communities to conserve their heritage
  while continuing to pursue economic
  opportunities and

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Atchafalaya National Heritage ActPurposes Con

• (3) to establish, in partnership with the State,
  local communities, preservation organizations,
  private corporations, and landowners in the
  Heritage Area, the Atchafalaya Trace State
  Heritage Area, as eligible parishes designated by
  the Louisiana Legislature, as the Atchafalaya
  National Heritage Area.

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Conclusions

• The Atchafalaya is Important
• Wildlife Uses
• Diversity
• Cultural value
• Public uses

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Works Cited

• http//www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/types
• http//www.fws.gov/refuges/profiles/index.cfm?id4
  3614
• http//louisianavoices.org
• http//sea-river.com
• http//cajunculture.com
• More if you really want to know!

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Questions