Ducks Unlimited (DU) is working on a marsh creation project to restore 140 acres near Golden Meadow, Louisiana. The project is located within the Terrebonne Basin, which is experiencing some of the highest rates of coastal land loss in Louisiana according to the United States Geological Survey (as high as 6,500 acres lost per year). This marsh creation work is bordered by multiple restoration projects constructed by DU and other organizations, and the area is a high priority for the coastal restoration community. Beyond restoring wildlife habitat, projects like this one provide multiple benefits, including lessening storm surge and flooding during tropical storm events and providing water quality improvements and economic benefits.

DU is using a cutterhead dredge to pull material from the bottom of Catfish Lake and pump it through a pipeline system approximately 1.5 miles to fill in shallow water ponds that were once healthy marsh. The marsh creation area is owned by ConocoPhillips / Louisiana Land and Exploration Company and is next to South Lafourche Levee Districts flood protection levee system. Marsh restoration will provide more erosion defense for the levee, strengthening community protection.

Project partners include DU, ConocoPhillips / Louisiana Land and Exploration Company, Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, Lafourche Parish Government, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Shell, and TransRe.