Mahannah WMA Enhanced
Ducks Unlimited and the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks each secured a North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) grant to enhance more than 1,100 acres of moist soil wetlands on Mahannah WMA. Work included bottomland hardwood reforestation on 300 acres, installation of water-control structures, renovation of levees and installation of new water wells to improve water management capability and moist soil habitat quality on 13 wetland units. Through the installation of new water-control infrastructure, partners provided additional, independently managed moist soil units, more efficient water use, and better management capacity for WMA staff. Other partners include Cypress Brake Tree Farms, Mississippi Land Trust, Wetlands America Trust, Bradshaw Tree, Inc. and Delta Wind Birds.
Mahannah WMA consists of 12,695 acres of bottomland hardwoods, agricultural fields, hardwood reforestation and managed impoundments in Issaquena County. It is open to public hunting through a draw system. In addition to improvements to Mahannah, the Ducks Unlimited NAWCA grant supports improvements to Morgan Brake and Hillside National Wildlife Refuges, Delta National Forest, and O'Keefe WMA, all public lands within a 30-mile radius. Together, these areas provide important wildlife habitat, particularly for waterfowl, in the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley (MAV). The MAV is a priority for Ducks Unlimited based on the needs of wintering waterfowl and threats to habitat in the area.