Ducks Unlimited (DU) conservation staff recently completed the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) funded project Cameron Prairie Marsh Restoration.

DU obtained the NAWCA grant of $999,901 for the restoration project, which includes additional funding from matching partners Fox &Baldwin LLC, Louisianas Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA), Axalta, Energy Transfer, and DU. Construction and terrace planting was completed in July 2019. The project restores brackish marsh on Cameron Parish School Board land and Cameron Prairie National Wildlife Refuge located in the Calcasieu/Sabine Basin. Approximately 80% of marsh in the project area was eroded away, primarily due to Hurricanes Rita and Ike (2005 and 2008).

The Cameron Prairie Marsh Restoration project included the construction and planting of approximately 41,000 linear feet of earthen terraces, which will benefit 1,865 acres of coastal marsh. The construction of earthen terraces in shallow open water areas creates suitable conditions for desirable plant communities that will enhance foraging, loafing, and nesting conditions for a multitude of waterbird species as well as enhance fishery habitat.