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<doc callnum="QH541.5.C65 U55 1976">
<metadata>
	<titleStmt>
		<mainTitle nfc="0"><title>Unique ecological features of the Louisiana coast</title>/<respStmt>prepared for the Louisiana State Planning Office, Coastal Resources Program [by] Burk and Associates.</respStmt></mainTitle>
	</titleStmt>
	<authorStmt>
		<corpAuthor><name>Burk and Associates.</name></corpAuthor>
		<corpAuthor><name type="jurisdiction">Louisiana.</name><subName>Coastal Resources Program.</subName></corpAuthor>
	</authorStmt>
	<imprint>[<pubPlace>New Orleans?</pubPlace>:<pubName>The Associates?</pubName>]<pubDate>1976.</pubDate></imprint>
	<classStmt>
		<locClass>
			<subject cat="top">Coastal ecology</subject>
			<subject cat="geo">Louisiana.</subject>
		</locClass>
		<locClass>
			<subject cat="top">Natural areas</subject>
			<subject cat="geo">Louisiana.</subject>
		</locClass>
	</classStmt>
</metadata>

<text xml:space="preserve">
<pb n="1" />

          Coastal Zone
            Information
                Center
                                  UNIQUE
                                  ECOLOGY
                                  FEATURES
                                  OF THE LOUISIANA C0AST

                                  PREPARED FOR

                                  THE LOUISIANA STATE PLANNING OFFICE

                               QH
                               541.5
                               C65
                               U55
                               1976                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         engineers planners environmental scientists
<pb n="2" />

                                                                                                                                                         C) 17 4(0

                                                  NO                                                        E

                                   OF THE LOUISIANA C                                                                                                                           MIT

                                   PREPAREO FOR
                                   THE LOUISIANA STATE PLANNING OFFICE

                                   COASTAL RESOURCES PROGRAM

                                   BATON ROUGE LOUISIANA

                                                                                   JUNE 1976

                                                                                                                    engineers planners environrnental scientists
                                                                                                        4176 CANAL ST. NEW ORLEANS,LA. 70119 504-486-5901

            7

                                   The preparation of this report was financed in part through a. grant from the
                                   U.S. Department of Commerce under the provisions of the Coastal Zone
                                   Management Act of 1972.

                                   U S. Department of Commerce under the provisions of the Coastal Zone
                                   Management Act of 1972.
<pb n="3" />

                                                  NOTICE

                This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the Louisiana
                State Planning Office in the interest of information exchange. The State
                of Louisiana assumes no liability for its contents or the use thereof.
<pb n="4" />

                                      TABLE OF CONTENTS

                                                                                  ,Page

            INTRODUCTION     . . . . . . .                                           1
            ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT UNITS          . . . . . . . . . . . .          2

            ZOOLOGICAL FEATURES
               1. Endangered Species Habitats   . . . . . . . . . . .. . . .         3
                  a. Southern Bald Eagle Nests    . . . . . . . . . . . . .          3
                  b. Brown Pelican Nesting Area     . . . . . . . . . . . .          4
                  c. Red Wolf     . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .            4
                  d. American Alligator    . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .           4
               2. Seabird Colonies and Wading Bird Rookeries    . . . . . . .        5
               3. Primary Fish and Shellfish Nursery Grounds    . . . . . . .        9
               4. Public Oyster Seed Grounds    . . . . . . . . . . . . . .         10
               5. Privately Leased Oyster Beds . . ... . . . . . . . . . .          11
               6. Live Rangia Clam Beds    . . .. . . . . .           . . . .       12
               7  Exposed Shell Reefs    . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .          12
               8. Other Unique Wildlife Habitat                                     13
                  a .  Sea Turtle Nesting Area in Chandeleur island;                13
                  b.   White-tailed Deer' Concentrations
                       (Mississippi Delta) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .          14
                  c.   Black Bear -Atchafalaya Basin   . . . . . . . . . . .        14
                  d.   Red Swamp Crayfish - Atchafalaya Basin   . . . . . . .       15
                  e.   Roseate Spoonbill - Sabine Refuge   . . . . . . . . .        16
                  f.   Big Burn - Deep Peat Burn Near Creole
                                                                  . . . . . .       16
                  g.   American Oil Company Waterfowl Impound-
                       ment South of Gueydan    . . . . . . . . . . .. . . .        17
                  h.   Peak Duck Concentrations   . . . . . . . . . . . . .         17
                  i.   Geese Concentrations   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .         19
                  j.   Osprey Nest   . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .         20
               9. Unique Fishery Habitat - the Barataria Basin  . . . . . . .       20

            BOTANICAL FEATURES
               1. Unique Botanical Specimens or Communities     . ... . . . .       22
               2. Submergent Grass Beds    ... . . . . . . . . . . .                24
               3. Black Mangrove Areas (Avicennia nitida   . . . . . . . . .        26
               4. Bottomland Hardwoods   . . . . . . . . . ... . . . . . .          27

            GEOLOGICAL FEATURES
               1. Barrier Islands and Beaches   . . . . . . . . . . ... . .         29
               2. Deep Migratory Tidal Passes   . . . . . . . . . . . . . .         31
               3. Cheniers and Beach Ridges   . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . .        33
               4. Salt Domes    . . . . . . . . . ... . . . . . . . . . .           34
<pb n="5" />

                                                                                      Paqe

                   5. Mud Lumps    . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .         35
                   6. Freshwater Impoundments in the Marshes    . . . . . . .          35
                   7, New Atchafalaya Delta   . . . . . . . . . .   o  . .   o         37
                   8. Big Woods Island, Deweyville Terrace    . . . .  0               38

                MISCELLANEOUS FEATURES
                   1. Potential Registered Natural Landmarks  . . .. . . . .           39
<pb n="6" />

                                       UNIQUE ECOLOGICAL FEATURES
                                                  OF THE
                                             LOUISIANA COAST

                 INTRODUCTION

                      The Louisiana coast possesses a richness and diversity of natural
                 resources that is unparalleled in the United States. From the ecological
                 standpoint, the coastal deltaic and chenier plains have many unique
                 features. The diverse habitats provided by isolated Pleistocene deposits,
                 alluvial ridges, swamps, marshes, cheniers, salt domes, beaches, bays
                 and nearshore Gulf waters support extremely dynamic and productive biotic
                 communities.

                      In addition to supporting dense populations of many commercially
                 important species, critical habitat for several rare or endangered species
                 is provided. The marshes and bays of the coastal area are responsible for
                 Louisiana being the premier state in annual production of fisheries and fur.
                 This phenomenal productivity is in itself unique, for the Louisiana marshes
                 are among the largest and most productive in the world. The brackish and
                 saline marshes serve as prime nursery grounds for over 100 species of
                 estuarine dependent fish and shellfish. The majority of species that are the
                 basis of Louisiana's renowned commercial and sport fishery utilize these
                 marshes during certain phases of their life cycle. Louisiana's wetlands
                 normally winter five to six million waterfowl and provide nesting habitat for
                 many species of wading and sea birds.

                      This report describes twenty three categories of unique ecological
                 features of the Louisiana coast. These features have been divided into
                 zoological, botanical and geological components. A unique ecological
                 feature is defined as an area or a resource that is either (1) critical habitat
                 for rare or endangered species, (2) of extremely high biological product-
                 ivity, (3) of vital importance as a nesting, feeding, wintering or spawning
                 area for fish and wildlife, (4) a rare or unusual occurrence for a species
                 that may be near the limits of its range, (5) vital to the maintenance of a
                 coastal ecological process , (6) a unique physiographic feature or (7) of
                 exceptional recreational value. For each feature, the location, number,
                 approximate size or acreage, unique importance and source of information  is
                 presented. Reference should be made to the unique ecological features
                 overlay on which these features are mapped.
<pb n="7" />

               ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT UNITS

                    The Louisiana coast has been divided into nine environmental manage-
               ment units represented by Roman numerals on the overlay. These units
               correspond to hydrologic units which are natural         catchment and drainage
               basins opened to the Gulf of Mexico. For purposes of coastal management,
               the landward boundary of these units is the coastal zone boundary. The
               natural levees of bayous and rivers and certain man-made features divide
               the environmental management units into natural drainage basins. These
               units are hydrologically distinct and can be managed as separate sub-
               systems. The geographical boundaries of each environmental management
               unit is as follows:

               Environmental
               Management Unit                                  Boundaries

                                            Coastal zone boundary to Pearl River to Bayou
                                            Terre aux Boeuf, including Lakes Maurepas and
                                            Pontchartrain

                    II                      Bayou Terre aux Boeuf to the Mississippi River

                    III                     Active Mississippi Delta south of Baptiste Collette
                                            Pass and Red Pass

                    IV                      Mississippi River to Bayou Lafourche including the
                                            Barataria Basin

                    V                       Bayou Lafourche to the Atchafalaya River

                    VI                      Atchafalaya River to the Wax Lake Outlet, including
                                            the Atchafalaya Basin

                    VII                     Wax Lake Outlet to Freshwater Bayou, including
                                            Vermilion Bay

                    VIII                    Freshwater Bayou to Highway 27 and the Creole
                                            Canal including the Mermentau Basin

                    Ix                      Highway 27 and the Creole Canal to Sabine Pass
                                            including the Calcasieu and Sabine Basins

                                                      2
<pb n="8" />

       ZOOLOGICAL
         FEATURES
<pb n="9" />

            Av.

      Southern  Bald Eagle nest on oak ridge below Lafitte
            v
            @5
<pb n="10" />

                 A. ZOOLOGICAL FEATURES

                        Endangered Species Habitats

                        a.   Southern Bald Eagle Nests
                               Seven,active confirmed nests of Southern Bald Eagles arc
                 known in coastal Louisiana. Eagles migrate into the area in September and
                 nest in the winter months. Nests are usually built in large cypress
                 or oak trees located on natural levee ridges such as are found along some
                 abandoned river distributaries. Young eagles are ready to leave the nest by
                 March. Other nesting sites have been reported but are unconfirmed by the
                 Fish and Wildlife Service. Three possible nesting locations are north of Lake
                 Boeuf, near Grassy Lake in the Atchafalaya Basin and on the Lacassine Refuge.

                        The seven confirmed nesting sites are in the following locations:

                        1)   Bayou Mauvais Bois natural levee ridge approximately one-half
                 mile northeast of Peoples Canal; Terrebonne Parish, Environmental Manage-
                 ment Unit V.
                        2)   Bayou Black natural levee ridge approximately one mile south of
                 Greenwood, Louisiana; Terrebonne Parish, Environmental Management Unit V.
                        3)   Turtle Bayou, approximately one mile south of the Intracoastal
                 Waterway and 6 miles southeast of Amelia, Louisiana; Terrebonne Parish,
                 Environmental Management Unit V.
                        4)   Avoca Island, near Bayou Chene about three miles northeast of
                 the junction of Bayou Chene and Bayou Penchant; St. Mary Parish, Environ-
                 mental Management Unit V.
                        5)   Natural levee ridge along abandoned portion of Bayou Barataria
                 approximately one mile east of Bayou Rigolettes; fefferson Parish, Environ-
                 mental Management Unit IV.
                        6)   Natural levee ridge along abandoned portion of Bayou Barataria,
                 approximately one mile south of site 5; fefferson Parish, Environmental
                 Management Unit IV.
                        7)   Bayou Bois Piquant natural levee ridge approximately one-half
                 mile north of the junction of Bayou Bois Piquant and Louisiana Cypress Lumber
                 Canal; St. Charles Parish, Environmental Management Unit IV.

                        Source of Information: Ray Acock, Fish. and Wildlife Service, Baton
                 Rouge. Personal communication.

                                                  3
<pb n="11" />

                  b. Brown Pelican Nesting Are
                         There is a small colony of brown pelicans that live and nest
          in the Queen Bess Island and Grand Terre Islands area of southern Barataria
          Bay. The population has fluctuated between one hundred and four hundred
          birds due to recent die-offs. 'Currently there are 170 adults by head count.
          Successful nesting was observed in March, 1976 when 35 young pelicans
          and 30 eggs were counted in nests on Queen Bess Island.

                  The pelicans can usually be found feeding from sand spits or shell
          reefs and nest in black mangrove of these islands. They range out of this
          area westward to Bay Champagne   and eastward towards Four Bayous Pass.
          The range covers portions of southern Lafourche, Jefferson and Plaqueminos
          Parishes and is in Environmental Mana' gement Unit IV.

                  Source of Information: Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission.

                  c. Red Wolf
                         There are a few remaining red wolves in Southwestern Louis-
          iana in Cameron and Vermilion Parishes. This wolf has hybridized with the
          dog and coyote and pure strains are not common. The Red Wolf usually is
          found on the higher ridges and cheniers that are found throughout the prairie
          marshes of the Chenier Plain.

                         Environmental Management Units VIII and IX.

                  Source of Information: Fish and Wildlife Service.

                  d. American Alligat
                         Although an endangered species in the United States, the
          American Alligator is not considered either rare or endangered in coastal
          Louisiana. An estimated 250,000 alligators reside in the state's wetlands.
          The abundance of alligators in the freshwater swamps and marshes of the
          coastal zone is unique in itself, for nowhere else in the United States is
          there habitat to support similar numbers.

               . Although alligators are widespread throughout the coastal area, and
          are found in all nine'environmental management units, peak concentrations
          occur in the freshwater marshes of Southwestern Louisiana, particularly on
          the state and federal wildlife refuges., 'Large alligator populations are seldom
          found in marshes where salinities greatly exceed 10 ppt. The ecological
          features overlay shows areas of peak alligator concentrations in coastal
          Louisiana. It should be noted that each alligator symbol on the overlay re-
          presents general areas where alligator populations are higher. Alligators are
          also found in adjacent areas where their range and population is increasing.
          Peak concentrations occur in the following general areas:

                                           4
<pb n="12" />

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                                                    American alligator atop alligator weed
<pb n="13" />

                        1)  Sabine Refuge, west of Highway 27, Cameron Parish
                        2)  Lacassine Refuge pool, Cameron Parish
                        3)  Freshwater marshes south of Grand Lake, Cameron Parish
                        4)  Rockefeller Refuge impoundments, Cameron Parish
                        5)  Marsh Island, Iberia Parish
                        6)  Marshes north of West Cote Blanche Bay, St. Mary Parish
                        7)  Atchafalaya Basin, St. Mary Parish
                        8)  Turtle Bayou - Bayou Penchant area, Terrebonne Parish
                        9)  Carencro Lake area,; Terrebonne Parish
                       10)  Rathborne Swamp area west of Lake Boeuf, Lafourche Parish
                       11)  Lake Maurepas Swamp, St. John the Baptist Parish
                       12)  Freshwater marsh west of Lake Salvador, St. Charles and
                            Lafourche Parishes
                       13)  Mississippi River Delta, Plaquemines Parish
                       14)  Delacroix Island area westward towards the Mississippi
                            River, Plaquemines and St. Bernard' Parishes
                       15)  Honey Island Swamp and freshwater marsh near mouth of
                            Pearl River, St. Tammany Parish

                        Source of Information:
                            Burk and Associates, Inc. Field surveys by staff personnel.
                            Chabreck, Robert H. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Servico.
                               ,Personal communication.
                            Ensminger, Allen. Louisiana. Wildlife and Fisheries
                               Commission. Personal communication.
                            O'Neil, Ted. Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission.
                                Personal communication.

                  2.    Seabird Colonies and Wading Bird Rookeries
                            Seabirds and wading birds utilize the Louisiana coastal wetlands
                heavily for nesting. Several surveys of nesting colonies and rookeries have
                been made in recent years by the Fish and Wildlife Service and the National
                Audubon Society. The most recent, upon which the following list is largely
                based, is currently being done by John Portnoy of the Louisiana Cooperative
                Wildlife Research Unit in Baton Rouge.

                        The sites in the following list are locations that have been used for
                nesting at least once since 1973 with the great majority having active nest-ing
                every season. The seabird colonies are most heavily used by laughing gulls,
                least, royal and. sandwich terns, black skimmers and willets. Wading birds
                occurring most commonly in rookeries are great blue, Louisiana and little
                blue herons; yellow and black-crowned night herons; American, common,
                snowy and cattle egrets; white-faced, white and glossy ibises and anhingas.
                The brown pelican rookery on Queen Bess Island was considered separately
                because of the bird's endangered status.

                                                 5
<pb n="14" />

             No.      lype             Location               Parish            Latitude     Longitude
                      Rookery       Johnson's Bayou           Cameron                         93049-
                                                                                29549
               2      Rookery       Shell Hill, Sabine        Cameron           290SS'        93034'
                                    Refuge
               3      Rookery       Pool I-B, Sabine          Cameron           29052'        93027'
                                    Refuge
               4      Rookery       Pool 1-A, Sabine          Cameron           29055'        93026'
                                    Refuge
               5      Rookery       North of Black Lake       Cameron           30003'        93024'
               6      Rookery       Rabbit Island '           Cameron                         93022'
               7      Rookery       West of Creole            Cameron           29053'        93007'
                                    Canal
               8      Rookery       Little Chenier            Cameron           29051'        92058'
               9      Rookery       Lacassine Refuge          Cameron           30000'        92056'
             10       Rookery       Blue Grove,               Cameron           29057'        92056'
                                    Lacassine Refuge
             11       Rookery       Black Grove,              Cameron           29057'        92055'
                                    Lacassine Refuge
             12       Rookery       North shore Lake          Cameron           29055.'       92054'
                                    Misere
             13       Rooke*r-y     Lacassine Refuge          Cameron           29059'        92051'
             14       Rookery       Lacassine Refuge          Cameron           29058'        92051'
             15       Rookery       La *cassine Refuge        Cameron           30000'        92050'
             16       Rookery       North end Grand           Cameron           29058'        92047'
                                    Lake
             17       Rookery       Northeast of              Verm ilion        29052'        92037'
                                    Blackfish Lake
             18       Rookery       Grand Volle Lake          Vermilion         29043'        92035'
             19       Rookery       North of Chenier          Vermilion         29036'        92014'
                                    au Tigre
             20       Rookery       Belle Isle (Raihey        Vermilion         29037'        92011'
                                    Refuge)
             21       Colony        Belle Isle Lake           Vermilion         29041'        92012'
             22       Rookery       West of Southwest         Vermilion         29035'        92005'
                                    Pass
             23       Rookery       Deadman Island,           Vermilion         29035'        92001'
                                    Vermilion Bay
             24       Rookery       Avery Island              Iberia            29055'        91055'
             25       Rookery       Avery Island              Iberia            29053'        91052'
             26       Rookery       Weeks Island              Iberia            29048'        91048'
             27       Rookery       Weeks Island              Iberia            29049'        9105S'
             28       Colony        Shell Keys Refuge         Iberia            29036'        91050'
             29       Rookery       East of Weeks             Iberia            29049'        91044'
                                    Island
             30       Rookery       West of Franklin          St. Mary          29048'        91034'
             31       Rookery       ICV\rW and Bayou          St. Mary          29026'        91050'
                                    Sale
             32       Rookery       Eugene Island             St. Mary          29022'        91024'

                                                    6
<pb n="15" />

                 11"

              .-M.AAM "57-

             Wading bird rookery on mangrove island

                   in Southern Barataria Bay
<pb n="16" />

                    No.     lype            Location              Parish            Latitude    Longitude
                    33      Colony        Point au Fer            St. Mary          29020'       9102 V
                    34      Rookery       North of Sweet-         St. Mary          29037'       91014'
                                          bay Lake
                    35      Rookery       East of Sweetbay        Terrebonne        29034'       91013'
                                          Lake
                    36      Rookery       Palmetto Bayou          Terrebonne,       29028'       91022'
                    37      Rookery       South of Kent Bayou     Terrebonne        29036'       911,08,
                    38      Rookery       Near Bayou L'Ourse      Assumption        29042'       91QO3'
                                          east of Amelia
                    39      Colony        Raccoon Point   on      Terrebonne        29004'       90058'
                                          Isle Dernieres
                    40      Rookery       just east of            Terrebonne,       29003'       90057'
                                          Raccoon Point
                    41      Rookery       Isle Derniere           Terrebonne        29003'       90044'
                    42      Rookery       South of Lake           Terrebonne        29026'       90056'
                                          Penchant
                    43      Rookery       North of Lake           Terrebonne        29025'       90054'
                                          De Cade
                    44      Rookery       Lake Hatch              TerTebonne        29031'       90048'
                    45      Rookery       Island east of          Terrebonne        29003'       90044'
                                          Whiskey Pass
                    46      Rookery       Island 1 mi. NE         Terrebonne        29004'       90043'
                                          of # 45
                    47      Rookery       Point Mast              Terrebonne        29006'       90038'
                    48      Rookery       Lake Boeuf              Lafourche         29048'       90040'
                    49      Rookery       NW shore of             Livingston        30018'       90034'
                                          Lake Maurepas
                    50      Rookery       Ponchatoula Marsh       Tangipahoa        30024'       9 0112 4'
                    51      Rookery       Swamp south of          St. John the      30006'       90030'
                                          Lake Maurepas           Baptist
                    52      Rookery       East of Lac Des         St. Charles       29056'       90030'
                                          Allemands,
                    53      Rookery       West of Lake            Lafourche         29039'       90024'
                                          Salvador
                    54      Rookery       South of Long Lake      Lafourche         29034'       90033'
                    55      Rookery       Timbalier Island        Terrebonne        29006'       90032'
                    56      Rookery       SW of jacko Bay         Terrebonne        29011'       90029'
                    57      Rookery       East of Old Lady        Lafourche         29014'       90024'
                                          Lake
                    58      Rookery       Felicity Island         Lafourche         29018'       90023'
                    59      Rookery'      4 mi. W. of             Lafourche         29041'       90025'
                                          Temple Bay
                    60      Rookery       1 mi. NW of #59         Lafourche         29)42'       90026'
                    61      Rookery       NW of Pierle Bay        Lafourche,        29011'       90019,
                    62      Rookery       West of Pierle Bay      Lafourche         29010'       90017'
                    63      Rookery       Devils Island           Lafourche'        29009'       90016,

                                                         .7
<pb n="17" />

            E -0.    YyRe             Location              Parish           Latitude     Longitud
            64       Rookery       Bay Marchand             Lafourche        29005'        90013'
            65.      Rookery       Bayou L'Ours             Lafourche        29026'        90013'
            66       Rookery       Caminada Bay             Lafourche        29017'        90003'
            67       Rookery       New Orleans East         Orleans          30002'        89059,
            68       Rookery       West Champagne           Jefferson        29016'        90005'
                                   Bay
            69       Rookery       Queen Bess               Jefferson        29018'        890S7'
            70       Colony        Pass Abel                Jefferson        29018'        89055'
            71       Rookery       Crane Island             Plaquemines      29023'        890S3'
            72       Rookery       North of Big             Plaquemine s     29025'        89"51'
                                   Island
            73       Rookery       Gulf shore 3    mi. W    Plaquemines      29019'        89049'
                                   of Robinson Canal
            74       Colony        Bay joeWise              Plaquemines      29018'        89043'
            75       Rookery       Bayou Grand              St. Bernard      29056'        89)44'
            76       Rookery       SE. of Long Bay          Plaquemines      29029'        89039'
            77       Rookery       Lanaux Island            Plaquemines      29016'        89)38'
            78       Rookery       Pelican Island           Plaquemines      29015'        89036'
            79       Rookery       Sandy Point              Plaquemines      29013'        89028'
            80       Colony        SW. Pass Spoil           Plaquemines      28057'        89024'
                                   Bank
            81       Rookery       Between Zinzin           Plaquemines      29008'        89" 18'
                                   Bay &amp; Riverside Bay
            82       Rookery       1/2 mi. North of         Plaquemines      29014'        89016'
                                   Quarantine Station
            83       Rookery       3/4 mi. North of         Plaquemines      29015'        89o 15'
                                   Main Pass
            84       Colony        Pass a Loutre Mud        Plaquemines      29011'        89000,
                                   Lump
            85       Rookery       Carencro Bay Island      Plaquemines      29023'        89020'
                                   S. of Bird Island
            86       Rookery       Bird Island              Plaquemines      29024'        89" 19'
            87       Colony        Telegraph Point          Plaquemines      29033'        89)3 1'
            88       Colony        Mozambique Point         Plaquemines      29040'        89031'
            89       Rookery       S.W. Lake                St. Bernard      29041'        89031'
                                   Machias
            90       Rookery       Raccoon Island Area                       29039'        89028'
            91       Rookery       Island W. of Dead-       St. Bernard      29044'        89022'
                                   man Point
            92       Colony        Point Chicot             St. Bernard      29044'        89o 16'
            93       Rookery       Anderson Point           St. Bernard      29054'        89c)20'
            94       Rookery       Conkey Cove              St. Bernard      29056'        89015'
            95       Colony        Isle au Pitre            St. Bernard      30009'        89o 10'
            96       Rookery       Martin Island            St. Bernard      29058'        89o 1 V
            97       Rookery       Mitchell Island          St. Bernard      29054'        89012'
            98       Colony        North Island             St. Bernard      29053'        88)53'

                                                   8
<pb n="18" />

                                                                                                              "Owl 4
                             AL.

              4',

              &amp;  0-1: 't@w

                             White        Pelicans on East Timbalier Island
<pb n="19" />

                No.     lype           Location            Parish          Latitude   Lon2itude
                                                                           T9
                  99    Colony      New Harbor Island      St. Bernard         5P      88  U511
                100     Colony      Redfish Point          St. Bernard     290 53'     88  048'
                101     Colony      Monkey Island          St. Bernard     290 48'     88  0511
                102     Colony      Curlew Island          Plaquemines     290 38'     88  058'
                103     Colony      Grand Gosier           Plaquemines     290 34'     89  004'
                                    Island
                104     Colony      S. Breton Island       Plaquemines     290 291     89  011,
                105     Colony      S. Breton Island       Plaquemines     290 281     89  013'
                106     Rookery     Lower Cow Island       St. Martin      300 09,     91  03 V

                        Source of Information:
                             Brown, Bobby W. Refuge Manager, Lacassine National Wildlife
                                Refuge. Written communication.
                             Portnoy, fohn W. Louisiana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit,
                                LSU, Baton Rouge, La. Written communication.
                             U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1975 Wading Bird Rookery
                                Survey.

                  3.    Primary Fish and Shellfish Nursery Grounds
                             Nursery grounds are shallow estuarine marbhes vital to the
                juvenile stages of estuarine dependent fish and shellfish. The great majority
                of commercial and sport fish and shellfish harvested along the Louisiana coast
                are dependent on nursery grounds for completion of the early life history
                stages of their life cycle. Called nursery grounds because they are used
                during post larval and juvenile stages, these areas are unique because they
                support one of the world's largest estuarine fisheries. Estuarine dependent
                organisms rely on these waters to provide food, habitat, favorable growth
                conditions and protection from predators during vulnerable periods of their
                lives. The nursery grounds also provide important habitat for migratory water-
                fowl, fur-bearing animals and many other forms of wildlife and support an
                increasingly important   sport fishing and recreational industry.

                        Although utilized by well over 100 species of fishes and invertebrates,
                the dominant species are bay anchovy (Anchoa mitchilli), Atlantic croaker
                (Micropogon undulatus), Gulf menhaden (Brevoortia Patronus) . Atlantic
                threadfin (Polydactylus octonemus , spot (Leiostomus xanthurus) white shrimp
                (Penaeus setiferus), brown shrimp (Penaeus aztecus) and blue crab (Calli-
                necte sa2idu ). All but the bay anchovy are commercially important.

                        The primary nursery grounds shown on the unique ecological features
                overlay were delineated on the basis of salinity zones, marsh vegetation
                and marsh-water interface. The inland limit of the nursery grounds was mapped
                as the 5 ppt. isohaline. This is generally regarded as the cutoff point between
                the freshwater and brackish communities. Although many estuarine organisms

                                                   9
<pb n="20" />

            are euryhaline and can tolerate both freshwater and seawater, the majority
            are most abundant in the salinity range from 5 to 25 ppt. Tidal movement
            and flushing, a key to estuarine productivity and faunal migration, is also
            more significant in waters with salinities greater than 5 ppt. This zone
            includes intermediate, brackish and saline marsh types. The seaward
            boundary of the nursery areas was more difficult to delineate because of the
            highly indented configuration of the coastal bays. The boundary between
            the inner nursery areas and the larger embayments was chosen as the sea-
            ward margin of the nursery areas.'These large embayments serve as staging
            areas where maturing fish or shellfish concentrate prior to their offshore
            emigration. Although open water areas are utilized by estuarine dependent
            forms, particularly for movements, the prime nursery is the marsh itself.
            The nursery areas were also mapped on the basis of the amount of marsh-
            water interface in each environmental management unit. Prime nursery areas
            have a high surface acreage of marsh and a high pond density.

                   The Barataria Basin from the fringes of Barataria Bay northward to
            near Lake Salvador represents a typical nursery area. This area is shallow
            brackish marsh with numerous small ponds, lakes and bayous. This region
            has a very high marsh-water interface. Movement of food, nutrients and
            organisms is provided for by the ebb and flow of the tide.

                   The largest acreages of nursery grounds are found in environmeiiLal
            management units I, IV and V in Southeastern Louisiana.  In the South-
            western part of the state, nursery grounds are confined to a relatively narrow
            band between Chenier au Tigre and Calcasieu Pass and around Calcasieu and
            Sabine Lakes.

                   Source of Infonnation:
                        Chabreck, Robert H. 1972. Vegetation, Water and Soil
                           Characteristics of the Louisiana Coastal Region.
                           Agricultural Experiment Station, Bulletin No. 664,
                           Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, La.
                        Gaidry, Wilson J.III and Charles J. White. 1973.
                           Investigations of Commercially Important Penaeid Shrimp
                           in Louisiana Estuaries. Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries
                           Commission. Technical bulletin no. 8.
                        St. Amant, Lyle. Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Com-
                           mission. Personal communication.

              4.   Public Qyster Seed Grounds
                        Public oyster-seed grounds are located in the parishes of Plaque-
            mines, St. Bernard, Jefferson, Lafourche and Terrebonne. These are areas of
            natural seed grounds in which the state has planted cultch material (generally
           .clam shells) as a supplement for the production of seed oysters. All oysters
            produced on these seed grounds are for the use and benefit of the oyster in-
            dustry and are available to the public.

                                             10
<pb n="21" />

                                 V @u$" A

                                                  5Z,

                             F@np

          Typical shallow brackish marsh nursery grounds
<pb n="22" />

                          Oyster seed ground reservations are located in Caillou Lake (9, 772
                  a cre s) in Terrebonne Parish, Hackberry Bay (4,015 acres) in Jefferson and
                  Lafourche Parishes, and in Bay Gardene (2,666 acres) in Plaquemines Parish.
                  These are areas managed by the state, with open and closed seasons for the
                  taking of seed oysters.

                           Red line" areas in Plaquemines and.St. Bernard Parishes encompass
                  4SO,000 acres. These are areas of natural oyster seed grounds which have
                  some remaining slow productive live reefs and in which clutch material is
                  periodically planted. Approximately 80 percent of the oysters planted on
                  private leases are transplanted by oyster fishermen from the sccd grounds
                  east of the Mississippi River. These public scod grounds (ire, Llicrofure c.,:-
                  tremely important to the Louisiana oyster industry which currently ranks
                  second nationally in volume landed.

                          All public oyster leases, seed ground reservations and "red line"
                  areas are shown on the unique ecological f eatures overlay as "oyster-1
                  areas.

                          Source of Information:
                              Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission. 19 7 1. Gulf of
                                  Mexico Estuarine Inventory and Study, Louisiana.
                                  Phase 1, Area Description and Phase IV, Biology.

                    S.    Privately Leased Oyster Beds
                              There are approximately 180,000 acres of state owned water-
                  bottoms leased to private individuals for cultivation of oysters on private
                  beds. The acreage has increased in recent years as new areas have become
                  available for leasing. Flooding on the Mississippi River in 1973 and 1974
                  has driven conches and other oyster predators away from reefs that were
                  formerly too saline for good production. In addition, the introduction of
                  freshwater and nutrients from this flooding should increase production on
                  many of the private oyster beds.

                          The greatest acreage of private beds is in St. Bernard, Plaquemines ,
                  Terrebonne and Jefferson Parishes. All private oyster beds are shown as
                  oyster-2 areas on the overlay. The overlay shows boundaries around the
                  major oyster - producing areas. Not all areas within these boundaries are
                  leased. Due to the extensive number of leases and their various sizes,
                  each reef was not individually mapped.

                          Source of Information:
                              Tarver, Johnny. Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission.
                                  Personal communication.

                                                    11
<pb n="23" />

             6.    Live Rangia Clam Beds
                       Rangia cuneata is a small brackish-water clam found in low
           salinity waters that possesses a unique ecological and commercial
           importance. Rang     is generally found in waters with salinities less than
           5 ppt. These clams dominate the benthic community of Lake Pontchartrain,
           Louisiana's largest estuarine lake. They serve a very important role in the
           estuarine food web and are a major component in the diet of many fishes,
           crustaceans and waterfowl. From the economic standpoint, eight major
           industrial users utilize clam shell in the manufacture of cement, glass,
           chemicals, chicken and cattle feed, wallboard, lime and as fill material
           for road construction and general construction. Dredging of clam shell for
           commercial purposes occurs primarily in Lake Pontchartrain.

                   Viable populations of Rangia occur in Lake Pontchartrain, Lake
           Maurepas, Lake Salvador, Lake Verret, Atchafalaya Bay, East and West
           Cote Blanche Bays, White Lake, Grand Lake, Calcasieu Lake, Sabine
           Refuge Pool and Sabine Lake.

                   Source of Information:
                       Center for Wetland Resources. Louisiana State University.
                            Baton Rouge, Louisiana
                       Tarver, I.W. and R.J. Dugas. 1973. A Study of the Clam;
                            Rangia cuneata in Lake Pontchartrain and Lake
                            Maurepas, Louisiana. Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries
                            Commission. Technical bulletin No. 5.

             7.    Exposed Shell Reefs
                       Exposed shell reefs consist of layers of oyster or clam
           shell that have accumulated to the point that they are at or above the normal
           water level. These reefs are normally dead or consist of a thin crust of live
           oysters on top of layers of oyster shell.

                   The most extensive reef deposits are between Southwest Pass (near
           Marsh Island) to Point au Fer. This reef development is most pronounced
           south of Marsh Island where numerous reefs extend in a general north to
           south direction for several miles out into the gulf. Shell Keys Refuge con-
           sists of about eight acres of reefs that are an important sea bird nesting area.
           An extensive area of reefs exists between Marsh Island and Point au Fer
           reef although these natural reefs are being dredged for commercial use and
           covered with sediment deposited from the Atchafalaya River.

                   Many small oyster reefs. are' found in Southeastern Louisiana in the
           marsh-lake-bay complexes of Plaquemines, St. Bernard, Terrebonne and
           Jefferson Parishes. There is an extensive oyster reef development in Southern
           Barataria Bay, although most of these reefs are at or below the water surface.

                                            12
<pb n="24" />

                 Numerous reefs are found between Baptiste Collette Pass and Grand Pass
                 east of the Mississippi River and in the shallow bays and lakes of the
                 "Louisiana" marsh north of Hopedale. These reefs are irregular in shape
                 although most are linear. They range in size from a few feet in diameter
                 up to a mile in length. Oyster reefs seldom exist as clean surfaces
                 because of sedimentation. Often the oyster shell of these reefs is mixed
                 with sand and mud or may be part of a marshy shoreline. Many of the
                 shoreline shell deposits in the marshes of Soutneastern Louisiana are clam
                 shell marking the location of Indian middens. The larger reefs that are
                 above the water's surface include Mitchell Key and Battledoor Reef.

                        Exposed shell reefs have several ecological functions. They provide
                 habitat and shelter for many species of small benthic fishes and invertebrates.
                 Larger fish, such as black drum, feed directly on the live oysters of the reefs.
                 The biological productivity and species diversity on these reefs is usually
                 much higher than bare mud or sand waterbottoms. Reefs also help to regulate
                 saltwater intrusion, reduce wave action on marshy shorelines and increase
                 sediment deposition. Many shorebirds utilize these reefs for nesting.
                 Fishermen find sport fishing near these reefs highly productive.

                        Source of Information:
                             Burk and Associates. Field checking by staff personnel.

                             U.S. Army Engineer District, New Orleans. 1974. Louisiana
                                 Coastal Area Study (Draft). Fish and Wildlife Study of
                                 the Louisiana Coastal Area and the Atchafalaya Basin
                                 Floodway.

                             U.S. Geological Survey. 1974. Infrared photography of
                                 coastal Louisiana. Scale 1:130,000.

                   8.   Other Unique Wildlife Habitat

                        a .  Sea Turtle Nesting Area in Chandeleur Islands
                               The Chandeleur Islands are uniquely important as a nesting
                 area for loggerhead sea turtles. These turtles annually return to the un-
                 developed beaches of these islands to lay their eggs in the sand. Although
                 seldom observed, the tracks of these turtles are occasionally noted where
                 they have crawled up the beach from the Gulf and deposited eggs in holes
                 dug in the sand. The Chandeleurs are one of the few remaining barrier
                 islands with beaches sufficiently remote for these large sea turtles to nest
                 undisturbed. Developments along other beaches have reduced the nesting
                 territory of the loggerhead making retention of these beaches in a natural
                 state even more important to this species. The Breton Bird Refuge, including
                 the main Chandeleur Island, has recently been designated as a National
                 Wilderness Area.

                                                 13
<pb n="25" />

                   Environmental Management Unit     I.

                   Source of Information:
                        U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1969. Breton
                             Wilderness Proposal, Breton National Wildlife
                             Refuge, Louisiana.
                        U.S. Bureau of Land Management. 1975. Color Map
                             number 14; Undersea Features, Endangered Wild-
                             life and Natural Vegetation of the Central Gulf of
                             Mexico. Outer Continental Shelf Office, New
                             Orleans, Louisiana

                   b. White-tailed Deer Concentrations (Mississippi Delta)
                           Numerous deer herds are scattere,d on scrub cypress-tupelo
            forest, natural levee ridges, cheniers , and in the marsh itself throughout
            the coastal wetlands. Peak populations occur in the Maurepas swamp
            area and in the scrub cypress-tupelo forest in western Terrebonne and
            southern St. Mary Parishes. A unique population of marsh deer, Odocoileus
            virginianus mcilhennyi, exists in the delta marshes at the mouth of the
            Mississippi River. Approximately 150 to 200 marsh deer live on the alluvial
           --ridges of the river passes. This race of deer differs from the north Louisiana
            race of whitetail in being smaller, darker, with smaller inturned antlers and
            larger hooves. These are adaptations to survival in the marsh environment.

                   Populations fluctuate with the changing conditions of the delta
            habitat. Severe storms and hurricanes often temporarily decimate the
            populations. In past years, numerous marsh deer from the delta were live-
            trapped and transplanted to other areas of the state.

                   Environmental Management     Unit III.

                   Source of Information:
                        Lowery, George,   Jr. 1974. The Mammals of Louisiana
                             and its Adjacent Waters. Louisiana Wildlife and
                             Fisheries Commission. -
                        McMullan, Cecil. Refuge Manager, Delta-Breton
                             National Wildlife Refuges. Personal communications.

                   c.   Black Bear - Atchafalaya Basin
                          The few native black bears that remain in Louisiana today
            are largely confined to the heavily wooded bottomiand hardwood   'terrain of
            the south central part of the state. Black bears in the coastal zone are
            most numerous in the lower Atchafalaya Basin in St. Mary Parish in the
            swamp north and south of Morgan City. just north of the coastal zone,     in
            Pointe Coupee Parish, 161 black- bears were released from 1964 through    1967.

                                               14
<pb n="26" />

                 This was part of a restocking program in which bears were transported
                 from Cook County, Minnesota and released near Lottie and Krotz Springs.
                 Other sightings of black bear in the coastal area have been near Gueydan,
                 Cote Blanche Island, Houma, Mandeville and Slidell.

                        The bottomland hardwoods and swamps of the Atchafalaya Basin,
                 which is the bear's prime habitat, represents probably the largest re-
                 maining overflow swamp in the United States. For this alone, the basin
                 is ecologically unique. It also has outstanding value from the wildlife
                 and recreational standpoint. Frequent annual flooding is the koy to the
                 high biological productivity and the diverse array of aquatic and tcrrestridl
                 life forms. The basin harbors many resident and migratory wildlife species.
                 Because of its near wilderness state, it supplies habitat for several animal
                 species which are becoming less common throughout the southeastern
                 United States. A diverse array of wildlife occurs including black bear,
                 white-tailed deer, turkey, grey and red fox, grey and fox squirrel, swamp
                 and cottontail rabbit, numerous other fur animals such as the beaver,
                 raccoon, mink, otter, nutria, muskrat and bobcat, many nongame animals
                 such as armadillo, weasel and smaller rodents, migratory waterfowl, and
                 other birds including wading and shore birds, songbirds and raptors, and
                 reptiles including alligators and amphibians. Sport and commercial fishing
                 is a big activity in the basin. Dominant fishes present in the basin include
                 black bass, warmouth, bluegill, redear sunfish, black crappie, several
                 species of catfishes and bullheads, gar, buffalo, carp and bowfin.

                        Environmental Management Unit VI.

                        Sburce of Information:
                             Herring, -Joe, 1962. Black Bear in Louisiana.
                                 Louisiana Conservationist, January, 1962.
                             Lowery, George, Jr. 1974. The Mammals of Louisiana
                                 and its Adjacent Waters. Louisiana Wildlife and
                                 Fisheries Commission.
                             U.S. Army Engineer District, New Orleans. 1974. Fish
                                 and Wildlife Study of the Louisiana Coastal Area and
                                 the Atchafalaya Basin Floodway. Draft Louisiana
                                 Coastal Area Study.

                        d. Red Swamp Crayfish - Atchafalaya Basin
                               The red swamp crawfish, Procambanis clarkii  is the basis
                 for a unique south Louisiana fishery with an annual harvest of over 10
                 million pounds. This fishery is valued at approximately $5 million and is
                 centered in the Atchafalaya Basin where over half of the crayfish are
                 harvested. The red swamp crayfish inhabits the shallow waters of lake
                 edges, bayous, ponds, ditches, marshes, swamps and other overflow lands

                                                  15
<pb n="27" />

          in fresh to slightly brackish water. In the basin, the crawfish harvest
          is centered north of Morgan City around Belle River and Pierre Part.
          Crawfish play a vital ecological role as a major food source for not only
          humans but also for many fish and other animals such as grackles, wading
          birds, ducks, frogs, turtles, snakes, raccoon, mink and otter. In turn,
          crayfish feed on a wide variety of organic materials and are useful in wood
          control, particularly alligator weed.
                  Environmental Management Unit VI.

                  Source of Information:
                       U.S. Army Engineer District, New Orleans. 1974.
                           Fish and Wildlife Study of the Louisiana Coastal
                           Area and the Atchafalaya Basin Floodway. Draft
                           Louisiana Coastal Area Study.

                  e.   Roseate Spoonbill - Sabine Refuge
                         The roseate spoonbill, L@ ajaia is a unique bird resident
          to the southwestern Louisiana prairie marshes of Cameron and Vermilion
          Parishes. The spoonbill is unique because of its pink and white color,
          spoon-shaped bill and long legs. The only confirmed nesting sites in
          Louisiana are Rabbit Island in Calcasieu Lake (where 10 breeding pairs
          were noted in 1975) and Lacassine Refuge. These Louisiana colonies are
          the northernmost for the species. Spoonbills in Louisiana do not migrate
          and remain in the southwestern marshes all year. Although classified as un-
          common on the Sabine Refuge, populations have made a strong comeback
          in Cameron and Vermilion parishes. On the 1972 Christmas Bird Count,
          the Sabine Refuge had 252 birds.

                  Environmental Management Unit VIII and IX.

                  Source of Information:
                       Lowery, George H. Jr. 1974. Louisiana Birds.
                           Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission.
                           Louisiana State University Press.
                       U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1975. Wading Bird
                           Rookery Survey in Louisiana.

                  f.   Big Burn - Deep Peat Burn Near Creole
                         Between the Intracoastal Waterway and Little Chenier east
          of Louisiana Highway 27 is an area of deep freshwater marsh that is called
          the Big Burn. This area, consisting of intermittent ponds and broken
          marsh, was created by a marsh fire that burned much of the peat deposits
          down to the clay pan. This burn created ponds and lagoons which are
          gradually being revegetated by cattail, bullwhip, bulltongue, alligator weed,

                                            16
<pb n="28" />

                  coffee bean and white water lily. Owne   d by the Miami Corporation, this
                  area is unique because of the excellent fresh water fishing that has been
                  created by the burn. Many of the other lakes in the freshwater marshes
                  of the area were created as the result of deep peat burns.

                         Environmental Management Unit VIII.

                         Source of Information:
                              Burk and Associates. 1976. Field investigation by
                                   staff personnel.
                              Chabreck, Robert H. Wildlife Biologist, U.S. Fish
                                   and Wildlife Service. Personal communication.
                              O'Neil, Ted. 1949. The Muskrat in the Louisiana
                                   Coastal Marshes. Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries
                                   Commission.

                         g. American Oil Company Waterfowl Impoundment
                              South of Gueydan
                                This area consists of approximately 10 square miles of
                  freshwater marsh on the northwestern shore of White Lake in Vermilion
                  Parish. Impounded by the American Oil Company, the area is managed
                  for waterfowl hunting. Water levels are regulated by a series of dikes
                  and control structures. Water levels are lowered so that annual plants
                  such as wild millet and wild rice may germinate. When water levels are
                  raised, these highly desirable waterfowl food plants then become acces-
                  sible to waterfowl. This area annually holds a very large body of ducks.
                  Due to this water level manipulation, plant species composition of the
                  area differs from the surrounding marshes which are all within the
                  Mermentau Basin system.

                         Environmental Management Unit VIII.

                         Source of Information:
                              Chabreck, Robert H. Wildlife Biologist, U.S. Fish
                                   and Wildlife Service. Personal communication.

                         h. Peak Duck Concentrations
                                 Coastal Louisiana's marshes, swamps and rice fields con-
                  stitute the largest and one of the most important waterfowl wintering areas
                  in the United States. Coastal Louisiana is at the southern terminus of the
                  Mississippi Flyway and normally winters between 5 and 6 million ducks.
                  Additional millions of ducks use the Louisiana marshes for staging, resting
                  and feeding before continuing across the Gulf of Mexico to. wintering
                  grounds in Central and South America. Thirty species of ducks have been

                                                    17
<pb n="29" />

            recorded in Louisiana and five of these nest here. The mottled duck,
            fulvous tree duck, and the wood duck breed in significant numbers with
            the blue-winged teal and hooded merganser in lesser numbers.

                    Ducks do not blanket the entire coastal area but tend to concen-
            trate in areas with preferred foods and proper water levels. Fresh and
            intermediate marshes I to 6 inches deep produce the prime habitat
            conditions. The production of preferred waterfowl foods, such as wild
            millet, smartweed, cyperus, three-cornered grass, wild rice, delta
            duck potato, bulrush, spikerush, pondweeds and wild celery, is higher
            in fresh and low salinity marshes. Saline marshes are generally of little
            value to ducks because they don't produce preferred foods. Ducks will
            shift between feeding and resting areas depending on highly variable
            local food and water conditions. Although conditions may change from
            year to year, there are certain areas that attract. peak duck concentrations.
            Under normal conditions, duck populations are greater in Southwest
            Louisiana because of more preferred habitat. Twenty eight of ffiese areas
            have been shown on the overlay. It should be noted that the symbols
            used to represent duck concentrations on the overlay indicate general.
            areas of concentration and do not imply ducks are not to be found in other
            areas. The following locations are areas, year in and year out, that
            normally concentrate ducks.

                                   Louisiana Coastal Areas Attracting
                                       Peak Duck Concentrations

                         Location                                     Parish
            1.  Black Bayou Area                                      Cameron
            2.  johnsons Bayou Area                                   Cameron
            3.  Sabine Refuge                                         Cameron
            4.  Lacassine Refuge                                      Cameron
            5.  Grand Chenier to Grand Lake Area                      Cameron
            6.  Rockefeller Refuge                                    Cameron,   Vermilion
            7.  Nearshore Gulf waters
            8.  Nearshor6   Gulf waters
            9.  American Oil Co. Impoundment                          Vermilion
           10.  North of White Lake                                   Ven-nilion
           11.  South of Pecan Island                                 Vermilion
           12.  Rainey and State Refuge                               Vermilion
           13.  Marsh Island Refuge                                   Iberia
           14.  West of Wax Lake Outlet                               St. Mary,
           15.  West of Lower Atchafalaya River                       St. Mary
           16.  Duck Lake Area of Atchafalaya Basin                   St. Martin
           17.  Lost Lake Area                                        'Terrebonne
           18.  Carencro, Bayou Area                                  Terrebonne
           19.  Bayou Penchant Area                                   Terrebonne
           20.  South of Lake Maurepas                                St. John the Baptist

                                                18
<pb n="30" />

                             Location                                    Parish
                  21. Bayou Blue Area                                    Lafourche
                  22. West of Lake Salvador                              St. Charles
                  23. Lake Pontchartrain (particularly near              St. Tammany, Orleans
                         grass beds)
                  24. Scarsdale - Delacroix Island Area                  Plaquemines
                  25. North of Little Lake near Pearl River              St. Tammany
                  26. Biloxi Wildlife Management Area                    St. Bernard
                  27. Delta Refuge                                       Plaquemines
                  28. Pass a Loutre Public Hunting Grounds               Plaquemincs

                         Environmental Management Units I-IX.

                         Source of Information:
                              Burk &amp; Associates, Inc. 1976. Field investigations
                                   by staff personnel.
                              Chabreck, Robert H. Wildlife Biologist, U.S. Fish
                                   and Wildlife Service. Personal communication.
                              Ensminger, Allen. Head, Refuge Division. Louisiana
                                   Wildlife and Fisheries Commiss'ion.
                                   Personal communication.
                              U.S. Army Engineer District, New Orleans. 1974. Fish
                                   and Wildlife Study of the Louisiana Coastal Area
                                   and the Atchafalaya Basin Floodway. Draft
                                   Louisiana Coastal Area Study.

                         i.   Geese Concentrations
                              . Four species of geese winter in coastal Louisiana - Canada,
                  blue, lesser snow and white-frorited geese. Geese tend to concentrate
                  into large bodies even more so than ducks. They can be locally scarce or
                  abundant, often giving fake impressions of actual number of birds. Louis-
                  iana winters a yearly average of 390,000 geese that concentrate in
                  Cameron and Vermilion Parishes, the Mississippi River Delta and the outer
                  fringes of the marshes in St. Bernard Parish near Mississippi and Chandeleur
                  Sound.

                         Individual species concentrate   in different types of habitat, based
                  primarily on food preferences. Canada goose populations have greatly
                  declined in recent years due to changes in migratory patterns. A resident
                  population of about 2, 000 birds still exists around and on the Rockefeller
                  Refuge. White-fronted geese winter in rice field areas along the Intra-
                  coastal Waterway from Vermilion Bay west to Texas.' Blue and lesser snow
                  geese are more widespread in coastal Louisiana. Concentrations occur in
                  the rice fields and pastures near Kaplan, Gueydan and Lake Arthur, near
                  johnsons Bayou, Sabine Refuge, in the brackish marshes of State and Marsh

                                                    19
<pb n="31" />

          Isla nd Refuges and along the north shore of Vermilion Bay, in the lower
          Terrebonne Parish marshes , north of Little Lake near the mouth of the
          Pearl River, in the brackish and saline marshes bordering the outer fringes
          of the St. Bernard sub-delta and orl the mud -flats along the passes at the
          mouth of the Mississippi River. These areas of geese concentration are
          shown on the overlay. Louisiana's coastal marshes are critical wintering
          habitat, particularly for blue and lesser snow geese. The majority of the
          continental population of these geese winter in the marshes and rice
          fields of coastal Louisiana and southeastern Texas.

                  Environmental Management Units I,III, V, VII, VIII and IX.

                  Source of Information:
                      Burk &amp; Associates, Inc. 1976. Field investigations by
                           staff personnel.
                      Chabreck, Robert H. Wildlife Biologist, U.S. Fish
                           and Wildlife Service. Personal communication.
                      U.S. Army.Engineer District, New Orleans. 1974. Fish
                           and Wildlife Study of the Louisiana Coastal Area
                           and the Atchafalaya Basin Floodway. Draft
                           Louisiana Coastal'Area Study.

                      Os2rey Nest
                        The osprey (Pandion haliaetus is a threatened species that
          is an uncommon resident of the Louisiana coast. Only one nest of the
          osprey has ever been observed in the state. It was discovered by
          Mac Myers about one mile northwest of Venice on March 30, 1974. Ospreys
          have been recorded in the state in every month of the year, although the
          greatest number of records fall in April, September and December.

                  Environmental Management Unit IV.

                  Source of Information:
                      Lowery, George H. fr. 1974. Louisiana Birds. Louisiana
                           Wildlife and Fisheries Commission.

            9.    Unique Fishery Habitat - the Barataria Basin
                      The Barataria Basin (Environmental Management Unit IV) is
          the most productive Louisiana estuary. It is located in the center of the
          "Fertile Fisheries Crescent" considered to be one of the most productive
          fisheries regions on earth. Barataria Bay and surrounding marshes are
          responsible for nearly half of the fisheries harvest on the Louisiana coast,
          which annually leads the nation in fishery harvest. With the exception of
          Gulf menhaden which are harvested in offshore and nearshore waters, it is

                                            20
<pb n="32" />

                  the most productive bay system in total finfish and shellfis h harvest.
                  More croakers, black drum, red drum, gar, spotted and sand seatrout,
                  crabs, shrimp and oysters are taken from this basin than any other on the
                  Louisiana coast. Many of the fish that are dependent on its marshes as
                  a nursery ground are harvested in nearshore Gulf waters. From 1968 to
                  1970, the average annual fisheries harvest from the Barataria Basin was
                  20.2 million pounds. This phenomenal productivity is due to the input of
                  nutrients and freshwater from the Mississippi River, a subtropical climatic
                  regime, abundant rainfall, cycling of nutrients, minerals, and organic
                  detritus by tidal flushing, high rates of plant production, and a high ratio
                  of marsh to water. The bay has a highly irregular and indented shoreline con-
                  sisting of many marshy islands, small lakes, ponds and bayous. This is
                  the ideal configuration for estuarine productivity because there is a large
                  zone of marsh-water contact. This interface zone between marsh and
                  water supports higher fish biomass due to the higher availability of detritus
                  and small invertebrate food organisms.

                         Source of Information:
                              National Marine Fisheries Service. Fisheries
                                   Statistics .
                              Lindall, W.N. et.al. 1971. Louisiana coastal zone:
                                   analysis of resources and resource development
                                   needs in connection with estuarine ecology.
                                   Section 10 - Fishery Resources. Report of the
                                   Comm. Fishery Work Unit, Nat. Mar. Fish. Serv.
                                   Biol. Lab. , St. Petersburg, Fla.
                              Wagner, Paul R. 1973. Seasonal Biomass, Abundance,
                                   and Distribution of Estuarine Dependent Fishes
                                   in the Caminada Bay System of Louisiana. Ph.D
                                   dissertation. Louisiana State University, Baton
                                   Rouge, Louisiana.

                                                    21
<pb n="33" />

                                         TANI                               AL
<pb n="34" />

                .B.   BOTANICAL FEATURES

                   if     Unigue Botanical S2ecimens or Communities

                              There are 21 areas of unique botanical importance on the
                 Louisiana coast that represent rare occurrences of certain plants, specimens
                 of unusual size (State'Champion Trees),'or outstanding natural plant com-
                 munities of special aesthetic, scientific or ecological significance. These
                 specimens or communities are listed in the following table.

                                     Environmental
                 Earis               Manaciement Unit               Name /Description

                 1. Vermilion              VIII            Canna glauca, a rare plant just
                                                           east of Highway 82.south of Forked
                                                           Island

                 2. St. Martin              VI             Atchafalaya floodway natural area
                    St. Mary                               and overflow swamp. A second
                    Assumption                             growth cypress swamp with some
                                                           original cypress and tupelo gum trees.
                                                           Extremely productive habitat support-
                                                           ing dense populations of terrestrial,
                                                           avian and aquatic fauna.

                 3. Terrebonne              V              Swamp loosestrife, Decodon
                                                           verticellatus, a rare shrub found in
                                                           the marsh north of Houma

                 4. St. James              IV              Oak Alley, a famous. row of oaks

                 S. Livingston                             Blind River swamp and natural area,
                    Ascension                              an abandoned Mississippi River dis-
                    St. James                              tributary about 20 miles in length
                                                           containing about 25,000 acres of
                                                           cypress-tupelo gum forest. Affected
                                                           by ebb and flow of tides through Lake
                                                           Maurepas., this swamp supports a very
                                                           rich and diverse faunal community.

                 6. Livingston                             Amite River Natural Area. Example of
                                                           a river bank swamp.

                 7. Livingston                             Clio cypress swamp community,
                                                           possibly virgin trees.

                                                  22
<pb n="35" />

                               Environmental
          Parish               Management Unit                Name/Description

          8. Livingston                I             Largest living specimen of the Laurel
                                                     oak, Quercus laurifolia, located on
                                                     the northwestern shore of Lake
                                                     Maure pas, c ircumfercnce 20' 4".

          9. Livingston                I             Tickfaw River Natural Area. River
                                                     bank swamp similar to Amite River.

         10. Livingston                I             Dense stands of Spruce pine, Pinus
             Tangipahoa.                             qlabr , occur along streams in this
                                                     area which is the western limit of its
                                                     range.

         11. Tangipahoa                I             Ponchatoula Marsh, a freshwater
                                                     marsh with a cypress swamp border.
                                                     Panicum hemitomum with Typh ,                     I
                                                     Sagittaria and Pontederia forms a
                                                     thick mat over what was probably a
                                                     former lake bed. Proposed for natural
                                                     landmark status, 1971. Estimated
                                                     4000 acres.

         12. Jefferson                IV             State Champion hackberry, Celtis
                                                     laevigata, circumference 19' 2 ".

         13. Jefferson                IV             Avondale virgin swamp community.

         14. Jefferson                IV             Oak tree, largest living specimen in
                                                     the state, circumference 22' 2". Near
                                                     Mississippi River in Kenner.

         15. St. Tammany               I             State Champion Live Oak, Quercus
                                                     virginiana, called the Seven Sisters
                                                     oak. Located near Mandeville north
                                                     of Lake Pontchartrain. Circumference
                                                     3711".

         16. St. Tammany               I             Saw Palmetto, Serenoa re2en     a ra re
                                                     plant in Louisiana found along Bayou
                                                     Lacombe.

         17. Orleans                   I             Duelling oaks in New Orleans, scene
                                                     of many duels.

                                            23
<pb n="36" />

                                     Environmental
                  Parish             Management Unit                NameZDescription

                18. Orleans                 I              Pakenham Oaks near Chalmette
                                                           Battle ground.

                19. Orleans                 I              Saw Palmetto, Serenoa re2en     a
                                                           rare plant found.along Chef Menteur
                                                           Pass.

                20. St. Tammany             I              Pearl River bottomlands, dense
                                                           stands of Spruce Pine and paiiiietto.

                21. St. Tammany             I              Honey Island Swamp, excellent
                                                           example of a cypress-tupelo gum
                                                           river overflow swamp of about 5,760
                                                           acres. Area remains in its natural
                                                           state and is bisected by several tri-
                                                           butaries of the Pearl River. Supports
                                                           high populations of deer, turkey,
                                                           squirrel, feral pigs, smaller furbearers,
                                                           wood ducks and many species of fresh-
                                                           water fish , molluscs, and crustaceans.

                         Source of Information:
                              Engineer Agency for Resources Inventories. 1973.
                                  Inventory of Basic Environmental Data, South
                                  Louisiana. Prepared for U.S. Army Corps of
                                  Engineers, New Orleans District.

                    2.   Submergent Grass Beds
                              Submergent beds of marine grasses are an extremely important,
                  although relatively small, component of the Louisiana coastal ecosystem.
                  These benthic grasses grow in shallow, relatively clear and protected waters
                  with predominantly sand bottoms. There are seven areas in Louisiana
                  coastal waters where habitat conditions are favorable for the establishment
                  of submergent marine grasses. These areas are centered around Terrebonne
                  Bay, Lake Pontchartrain and the Chandeleur Islands. Barataria Bay lacks
                  many of these grasses but has a seasonal community of benthic marine algae.
                  The generally turbid waters and soft bottom of most of Louisiana's estuaries
                  are the primary limiting factors to more widespread distribution. The seven
                  areas where submergent marine grasses occur are in the following locations.

                         1)   Bay side of Isle Dernieres, Timbalier and East Timbalier Islands
                         2)   Along the north shore of Lake Pelto, Old Lady Lake and the
                  southeastern shore of Timbalier Bay

                                                  24
<pb n="37" />

                 3) Western side of the main Chandeleur Islands from North
          Point westward to Freemason and North Islands and south toward Curlew
          Island
                 4)   Southwestern corner of Lake Salvador in Temple and
          Catahoula Bay
                 5)   Northeastern corner of Lake Catherine
                 6)   Northeastern shore of Lake Pontchartrain between Green
          Point near Mandeville and Big Point near Slidell (approximately 2000 acres)
                 7)   North Pass between Lakes Maurepas and Pontchartrain.

                 Two basic communities of submergent grasses occur in these areas.
          A marine community of grasses including turtlegrass, Thalassia testudinum
          shoalgrass, Halodule wrightii manateegrass, Cymodocea manatorum; Gulf
          Halophila, Halophil en@jelmannj; and Syringodium, Syringodium filiforme
          occurs on the back side of the islands in Terrebonne and Timbalier Bay
          and on the western side of the Chandeleurs. Shoalgrass and manateegrass
          are the predominant species in the Terrebonne Bay area. A brackish water
          .community of grasses including wild celery, Vallisneria americana,
          widgeongrass, Ruppi maritima and Southern naiad, Naias quadalupensis;
          occurs in Lake Salvador, Lake Catherine and Lake Pontchartrain. Horned
          pondweed, Zanichellia palustri , is found in North Pass. These species,
          especially widgeongrass, also occur in abundance in small brackish water
          ponds and lagoons but no attempt was made to map this distribution.

                 These submergent grass beds have many important ecological
          functions and roles in the coastal ecosystem and are a component of
          special value. The true value of submerged grass communities is not
          fully understood and is generally underestimated. They supply food to
          grazing animals , detrital material and nutrients to the water,' add oxygen
          to the water through photosynthesis and stabilize bottom sediments by
          increasing sedimentation of suspended sediments. This latter function is
          often responsible for waters being clearer over the top of grass beds. They
          provide nursery areas and refuge for the young of many fishes and small
          invertebrates and attract a diverse and prolific epiphytic biota, often creat-
          ing unique habitat for the existence of certain species. Marine grass beds
          are also extremely productive, -in some cases about as productive of de-
          trital nutrients as salt marshes.

                 Environmental Management Units I, IV and V.

                 Source of Information:
                      Burk and Associates, Inc. 1976. Field checking by
                          staff personnel.
                      Clark, John. 1974. Coastal Ecosystems. The Conserva-,
                          tion Foundation, Washington, D.C.

                                          25
<pb n="38" />

                              Hass, Sue. 1975. Biologist, U.S. Army Corps of
                                   Engineers, New Orleans District. Environmental
                                   Quality Section. Personal communication.
                              Montz, Glen N. 1975. The Submerged Vegetation of
                                   Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana. U.S. Army Corps
                                   of Engineers, New Orleans District. Environmental
                                   Quality Section.
                              Thayer, Gordon W., Douglas A. Wolfe and Richard B.
                                   Williams. 1975. The Impact of Man on Seagrass
                                   Systems. American Scientist, 63 (3): 288-296.
                              University of Southwcstern Louisiana. 1972. U.S. L.
                                   Studies on the Chandeleur Islands, Research Series
                                   No. 10. Edited by H.D. Hoese and J.M. Valentine,
                                   Jr.
                              U.S. Geological Survey. 1974. Infrared photography of
                                   coastal Louisiana, Scale 1:130,000.

                    3.   Black Mangrove Areas (Avicennia nitida)
                              The occurrence of black mangrove in coastal Louisiana is
                  ecologically unique because it represents the northernmost point in the
                  range of this species. This small evergreen shrub occurs near the southern
                  margins of Lake Pelto, Terrebonne Bay, Timbalier and Barataria Bay on the
                  west side of the Mississippi River and from Carencro Bay northward to the
                  Mississippi River Gulf Outlet and the main Chandeleur Island east of the
                  river. It is most commonly found on the edges of small islands in southern
                  Barataria, Terrebonne and Timbalier Bays. In some areas, such as Calumet
                  Island in Timbalier Bay, it covers the entire island. It is limited to these
                  southern margins of the bays by its requirement for high salinity and its
                  inability to survive frost. During cold winters, many of the plants die.
                  After two or three years of relatively mild winters, it grows luxuriously and
                  may reach five to six feet high.

                         Black mangrove has several ecological functions similar to marine
                  grass beds. It aids in shoreline and marsh stabilization by trapping sedi-
                  ment and reducing wave action, provides d6trital food material and supplies
                  shelter and substrate for many small fishes and invertebrates. Many small
                  animals such as periwinkles, mussels, fiddler crabs, mud crabs, small.
                  blue crabs and hermit crabs find shelter and food in and on the pneumato-
                  phores (subaerial roots) of the mangroves. Mangrove fruits are transported
                  long distances by tidal currents and often colonize bare mudflat areas or
                  exposed marsh shorelines thus helping to reduce marsh erosion and land
                  loss. It is also used extensively by many wading and sea birds, including
                  the brown pelican, for nesting and roosting habitat.

                                                    26
<pb n="39" />

                Environmental Management Units 1, 11, IV, and V.

                Source of Information:
                    Burk and Associates, Inc. 1976. Field checking by
                         staff personnel.
                    Gagliano, S.M. et.al. 1973. Environmental Atlas and
                         Multiuse Management'Plan for South-Central
                         Louisiana. Hydrologic and Geologic Studies of
                         Coastal Louisiana. Report 18, Volume 2. Center
                         for Wetland Resources, LSU. Baton Rouge, La.
                    U.S. Geological Survey. Infrared photography of
                         coastal Louisiana. Scale 1:130,000.

           4.   Bottomland Hardwoods
                    Bottomland hardwoods are considered to be the prime forest
         game habitat for the most popular sport species of wildlife as well as for
         certain rare or endangered species. In coastal Louisiana, bottomland hard-
         wood habitat is most prevalent in the upper Atchafalaya Basin and Pearl
         River Basin (see overlay).

                The alluvial ridges of the Mississippi River's deltaic plain were
         once dominated by bottomland hardwoods. Today, most of these ridges and
         natural levees have been cleared for agriculture and urbanization. Remaining
         hardwood forests are located on the flanks and distal ends of the alluvial
         ridges.

                The dominant trees of bottomland hardwoods are live oak, water oak,
         willow oak, nutall oak, overcup oak, Shummard oak, white oak, cherrybark
         oak, bitter pecan, green ash, redgum, willow, sycamore, hickory, cotton-
         wood, hackberry, American elm,black and water locust. These species com-
         prise various successional and climax communities, depending on elevation
         and degree of annual flooding that may occur. These forested areas of mixed
         hardwoods provide the best habitat and game range for white-tailed deer,
         turkey, black bear, squirrel and many other small mammals, fur animals and
         many songbirds. The ideal hardwood game range is one that is comprised of
         the maximum variety of tree species of all age classes. Oaks and hickory
         produce high quality acorns and mast for forest game on a year-round basis.
         Bottomland oaks sustain higher mast yields than upland oaks. In both the
         Atchafalaya and Pearl River Basin, cypress-tupelo brakes and sloughs inter-
         mingle with the hardwood forest. This creates an alternating hardwood ridge
         and cypress swale pattern that provides a good and varied food supply and
         escape cover.

                Environmental Management Units I and VI.

                                         27
<pb n="40" />

                                                                    V

                                                                                                                                            ALI

                                                                                                    elk-

                                                                                                                                                                                   bk

                     1p,

                           :11, A",
                                                                                                                                  IN 5
                                                                                           JW

                                    Black Mangrove on small island in Timbalier Bay
<pb n="41" />

                       Source of Information:
                            Brown, Clair A. 1965@ Louisiana Trees and Shrubs.
                                 Louisiana Forestry Commission, Bull. No. 1.
                            U.S. Army Engineer District, New Orleans. 1974. Fish
                                 and Wildlife Study of the Louisiana Coastal Area and
                                 the Atchafalaya Basin Floodway. Draft Louisiana
                                 Coastal Area Study.
                            U.S. Geological Survey. 1974. Infrared Photography of
                                 coastal Louisiana. Scale 1:130,000.

                                                28
<pb n="42" />

   E L    AL
   FEAT  E
<pb n="43" />

                                  'Ok
<pb n="44" />

                  C. GEOLOGICAL FEATURES

                         Barrier Islands and Beaches
                              Barrier islands on the Louisiana coast represent relicts of
                  abandoned deltas of the Mississippi River. These elongate islands charac-
                  teristically have a smooth sandy beach on the Gulf side and a highly in-
                  dented shoreline with black mangrove and salt marsh on the protected bay
                  side. Several complexes of barrier islands are found along the coast. The
                  major island groups are: Isle Dernieres; Timbalier - East Timbalier; Grand
                  Isle - Grand Terro; and tho Chandelcur Island chain.

                         Barrier islands are constantly changing shape and form in response
                  to wave action, tidal and longshore currents, sediment supply and storms.
                  A pattern of continual erosion and deposition constantly shapes and re-
                  shapes the islands. Of foremost importance in the maintenance of a stable
                  ecology is the frontal sand dunes and the mangrove and salt marsh on the
                  back side of the islands. These features stop storm waves from breaching
                  the islands and catch sediment thus holding the shore intact. Vegetation,
                  such as baccharis , wax myrtle and rattle box, helps to stabilize the dunes.
                  Dunes on most of the Louisiana barrier islands are 3 to 6 feet high. On some
                  of the islands, such as Grand Isle, oak trees help to stabilize the island.

                         Barrier islands are extremely important in regulating and maintaining
                  water exchange and salt water balance between the Gulf and the bays.
                  Between the islands are tidal passes through which water exchange between
                  the Gulf and bays occurs. The islands help reduce storm surge and wave
                  action on the marshes in the bays behind the islands. They are also prime
                  nesting and roosting areas for many shorebirds and sea birds. Other rare or
                  endangered wildlife, such as brown pelicans and loggerhead sea turtles
                  utilize the islands. The salt marsh and mangrove on the back side of the
                  islands serve as nursery and feeding grounds for many fish and shellfish.
                  The barrier islands also have a high recreational potential and value. Many
                  people utilize them for fishing, camping, swimming, nature photography or
                  beachcombing.    The lack of accessibility helps maintain some of the
                  islands in a semi-wilderness state. The Breton Bird Refuge, including the
                  main Chandeleur Island and South Breton Island, has recently been included
                  in the National Wilderness Preservation System and is Louisiana's only de-
                  signated wilderness area.

                         A brief listing of the major barrier islands and beaches on the
                  Louisiana coast follows. Those areas have been divided into seven groups.

                          1)  Sabine Pass to Southwest Pass. This area includes a continuous
                  thin band of sand and or mud beach that is part of the mainland and not
                  separated as the true barrier islands. Included are Ocean View Beach, Con-
                  stance Beach, Peveto Beach, Holly Beach, Rutherford Beach and Cheniere

                                                   29
<pb n="45" />

           au Tigre. From Cheniere au Tigre to Point au Per, mud beaches predominate
           due to sediment deposition from the Atchafalaya River.

                   2)   Point au Per to Bay junop. Small narrow sand and shell beach.

                   3)   Isle Dernieres from Raccoon Point to Wine Island Pass. Beachos
           of fine sand approximately 100 feet wide backed by dunes rising 3 to 5 feet.
           These islands separate Lake Pelto from the Gulf, run east to west and are
           approximately one half mile wide and 24 miles long.      They are broken by
           several channels.

                   4)   Timbalier - East Timbalier Islands. Separate Terrebonne and
           Timbalier Bays from Gulf. Same approximate dimensions as Isle Dernieres,
           Timbalier Island is 9 miles long and East Timbalier is about 9.5 miles long.
           The two islands are separated by Little Pass Timbalier.

                   5)   Grand Isle    Grand Terre Islands. Separate Barataria Bay from
           Gulf. These islands are separated by Caminada Pass, Barataria Pass, Pass
           Abel and Four Bayous Pass. Grand Isle extends ab      'out 7. 5 miles in a north-
           east to southwest direction and is about three quarters of a mile wide at the
           center. The beach is up to 300 feet wide but averages 50 feet wide and is
           composed of fine sand and shell fragments. Grand Terre is split into two
           islands., the larger being approximately 3 miles long and three quarters of
           a mile wide. The smaller island is about 2.5 miles long and much narrower.
           Similar topography to Grand Isle except without trees.

                   6)   Lanaux - Pelican Island. These are not true barrier islands but
           narrow sand beaches between Bastian and Shell Island Bay and the Gulf.
           Narrow sand and-mud beach.

                   7)   Chandeleur Islands including North and South Breton Island,
           Grand Gosier Island, Errol Island, North Islands, New Harbor Islands, and
           the main Chandeleur Island complex. The Chandeleurs are truly a unique
           area in Louisiana and closely resemble coastal Florida with its clear high
           salinity waters, sand beaches, black mangrove and turtle grass shoals.
           They are unlike most of Louisiana's coast,which is characterized by turbid
           low-salinity waters and highly organic substrate. These islands form a
           North-Southarc approximately 20 miles off the coast and mark the eastern
           end of the old St'*Bernard delta system. They are approximately 50 miles
           long from the North Point of the Chandeleurs to the West Point of Breton
           Island. Within the arc, a few miles to the west, lie North Islands, New
           Harbor Islands and Freemason Island. The Smack Channel area between
           New Harbor Islands and the main Chandeleur Islands is an extremely unique
           area. It possesses a rich and diverse fauna of certain small crustaceans
           molluscs, invertebrates and fishes that represent a combination of temperate
           Northern Gulf species and tropical West Indian species. Many species are

                                              30
<pb n="46" />

                               lw

             -77

                                                    k" IV

                                                    zz
                                           wo If'

                  74"
                      wow"

                Sand beach near Bay Marchand
<pb n="47" />

                  endemic to the grass beds around North Islands. The islands are composed
                  of fine quartz sand and shell beaches on the Gulf side and mangrove and
                  salt marsh on the sound side. The beaches are backed by low sand dunes.
                  The oldest and largest dunes are colonized by dense thickets of baccharis
                  and wax myrtle.

                         Environmental Management Units I, IV, V, VII, VIII and IX.

                         Source of Information:
                              Burk and Associates, Inc. 1976. rield investigation by
                                   staff personnel.
                              U.S. Army Engineer District, New Orleans. 1974. Fish
                                   and Wildlife Study of the Louisiana Coastal Area and
                                   the Atchafalaya Basin Floodway, Draft Louisiana
                                   Coastal Area Study.

                    2.   Deep Migratga Tidal Passes   -
                              Deep tidal passes connecting the estuaries and the Gulf of
                  Mexico are ecologically important as migratory pathways for many estuarine
                  dependent fish and shellfish. Post larval and adult forms of many marine
                  and estuarine species immigrate in and emigrate out of these passes at
                  certain seasons of the year. In the spring and summer, there is a large
                  inshore migration of larval and post larval shrimp, crabs, and fishes that
                  ride tidal currents through the passes towards the upper ends of the estuarine
                  basins. In the fall, these same species migrate back out through these
                  passes into the Gulf for spawning and overwintering after utilizing estuarine
                  waters as nursery grounds. Because of tidal scouring and high volumes of
                  water movement, the passes are often 50 to 100 feet deep.

                         Through these deep passes, nutrients, detritus and sediments
                  derived in the inshore bays are exported into the Gulf where they provide
                  food for the marine food web. Phytoplankton, the basis of the marine food
                  web, flourish on the nutrients supplied by decomposition of marsh grasses
                  and land drainage. Many large marine fishes enter the passes and lower
                  portions of the bays on feeding forays. Tidal currents, on which all life
                  in the estuaries depend, ebb and flow through the passes. Deep tidal passes
                  are therefore vital to the maintenance of both inshore and nearshore fisheries
                  productivity.

                         Although the Louisiana coast has a highly irregular shoreline and
                  many connections between the bays and Gulf, the deeper passes are the
                  most important migratory pathways. The following 25 passes are the most
                  significant in terms of fishery migration and tidal movements. Most of these
                  passes are located between the Gulf and the lower ends of the bays or large
                  inshore lakes.

                                                    31
<pb n="48" />

                  1)  Sabine Pass
                  2)  Calcasieu Pass
                  3)  Rollover Bayou
                  4)  Southwest Pass (near Marsh Island)
                  5)  Oyster Bayou
                  6)  Bayou Grand Caillou
                  7)  Grand Pass des Ilettes
                  8)  Whiskey Pass
                  9)  'Wine Island Pass
                 10)  Cat Island Pass
                 11)  Little Pass Timbalier
                 12)  Belle Pass
                 13)  Caminada Pass
                 14)  Barataria Pas.s
                 15)  Pass Abel
                 16)  Quatre Bayou' Pass
                 17)  Mississippi River Gulf Outlet
                 18)  Deep Pass
                 19)  Grand Pass
                 20)  Three Mile Pass
                 21)  Nine Mile Pass
                 22)  Le Petit Pass
                 23)  Rigolets
                 24)  Chef Menteur Pass
                 25)  Industrial Canal at the Seabrook Bridge

                  Environmental Management Units: I, IV, V, VI, VIII and IX.

                  Source of Information:
                      Burk and Associates, Inc. 1976. Field investigation by
                          staff personnel.
                      U.S. Geological Survey. Topographic maps of various
                          dates and scales.

                                          32
<pb n="49" />

                               - ------ --- ----

              Barataria Passm deep tidal pass connecting

                   Barataria Bay and Gulf of Mexico
<pb n="50" />

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                                           Live Oaks on Little Chenler ridge
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                3.    Cheniers and Beach Rid2es
                          Cheniers and beach ridges are linear geological features unique
              to a deltaic coast such as Louisiana. They represent ancient Gulf beaches
              that were stranded by deposition of alluvial sediments Gulfward from the
              former shoreline by deltaic sedimentation. The cheniers lay in parallel
              belts to the Gulf and are composed of sand and shell ridges and dunes de-,
              posited by wave action. Cheniers furthest inland represent the oldest
              cheniers while those closest to the Gulf are youngest. Cheniers were formed
              by the constant shifting of the Mississippi River across its flood plain. This
              resulted in alternating erosion and deposition and construction of cxtcnsivo
              mud flats and marshes which,presently separate the- cheniers. When the
              Mississippi shifted eastward, the process.was reversed from build-out to
              retreat and beaches were formed by wave action on marshy shorelines. These
              beaches became stranded when the river shifted its discharge to the west side
              of its flood plain again. Mos t are 4 to 5 feet above sea level.and are
              lined with large old live oaks (Que rcus virginiana). The cheniers reach maximum
              elevations of about 10 feet above the marsh and a maximuffi width of about a
              quarter mile. Chenier is a French word meaning "place of oaks " and the oak
              trees are visually the most outstanding feature of the cheniers.

                      The cheniers are the most distinct topographic feature of the Chenier
              Plain in Southwestern Louisiana. They are located from near Sabine Pass
              eastward to Cheniere au Tigre. The largest include Blue Buck Ridge., Smith
              Ridge, Front Ridge, Back Ridge, Hackberry Beach, Oak Grove Ridge, Little
              Chenier, Pumpkin Ridge, Eugene Island, Grand Cheniere Ridge, Cheniere
              Perdue, Pecan Island, Mulberry Island, Bill Ridge and Cheniere au Tigre.
              These cheniers and smaller cheniers are shown on the overlay. In many
              cases where subsidence has occurred and marsh deposits have built up, the
              marsh'ridges may be only a foot or two above the marsh and are discernable
              by the presence of rattle box or roseau ca ne.

                      The name cheniers have also been given to abandoned natural levees
              (e.g. Bayou Grande Cheiniere) and beach ridges  (e.g. Cheniere Caminada)
              in Southeastern Louisiana. Although these "chenieres" have a similar
              appearance and vegetation, they. were formed differently from. the cheniers
              of Southwestern Louisiana.

                      Ecologically, the cheniers and beach ridges serve an important
              function as wildlife habitats, storm barTiers, and in limiting salt water in-
              trusion into the marshes. This is particularly evident along the Grand
              Cheniere-Pecan Island ridge- complex. Marshes south of these chenieres
              are brackish while marshes to the north are primarily fresh. The cheniers
              are very important as resting areas for birds completing trans-Gulf migra-
              tions. They also have high recreational value for camping, hiking, bird-
              watching and picnicking.

                      Environmental Management Units: IV, VIII and IX

                                                33
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                   Source of Information:
                       Howe, Henry V. , et.al. 1935. Geology of Cameron and
                            Vermilion Parishes. Geological Bulletin No. 6.
                            Department of Conservation. La. Geological Survey.
                       U.S.G.S. 1974-. Infrared photography of.coastal Louisiana.
                            Scale 1:130,000.

             4..   Salt Domes
                       Salt domes are prominant geological features around which most
           of the oil and.gas drilling in South Louisiana occurs. Most are subsurface
           in both the 'coastal marshes and offshore areas. Of the many domes on land
           in South Louisiana, only the "Five Islands" in Iberia and St. Mary Parishes
           are truly conspicuous. Four of these islands occur within. the coastal zone
           -Avery Island, Weeks Island, Cote Blanche Island and Belle Isle. These.
           domes are spaced at 7 to 9 mile intervals along a line of geologic activity.
           They are round with diameters of approximately two miles.

                   Called "islands" because they represent areas of significant' topo-
           graphic relief surrounded by near sea level marshes, the salt.domes are
           unique from a geological, botanical, zoological, historical and archeological
           -standpoint. They reach elevations of up to 152 feet above sea level creating
           quite a striking vista as they seem to "rise" up suddenly out of the marshes.
           The abrupt change in elevation from sea level to over 150 feet is unique in
           coastal Louisiana where changes in elevation of only a few inches often
           cause botanical differences. The islands are heavily wooded and have
           numerous small ponds and lakes.. The dom(@s have a distinct flora and fauna
           quite different from the surrounding marshes. Vegetative types range from
           marsh to upland hardwoods. The dominant trees on the well drained areas
           of the domes are bitternut hickory, pecan, pignut hickory, southern magnolia
           and live oak. Many other species of lowland hardwoods, shrubs, vines,
           herbs, grasses, fems, liverworts and mosses are found. Some of the
           mosses have a very disjunct range being found only in tfopical America,
           Florida and on the Five Islands. The islands are also important wading bird
           rookeries and habitats for white-tailed deer, small mammals and occas-
           sional black bears. From the archeological standpoint, eva-cuations on
           Avery Island have revealed evidence of the earliest records of man in coastal
           Louisiana.

                   Environmental Management Units VI and VII.

                   Source of Information:
                       Kniffen, Fred B. 1968. Lotiisiana, Its Land and People.
                            Louisiana State University Press.

                                           34
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                             U.S., Army Corps of Engineers, Vicksburg District, 1973.
                                  Report on Gulf Coast Deep Water Port Facilities,
                                  Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and
                                  Florida. Appendix F. Environmental Assessment,
                                  Central Gulf.

                  5.    Mud LuWs
                             The mud lumps are small mud islands unique to the mouths of
                the Mississippi River passes. Mud lumps are found near the ends of South-
                west Pass, South Pass, Southeast Pass and Pass a Loutre. They range up
                to twelve feet in height and vary in diameter from a few square feet to
                twenty acres. They are produced by geological processes occurring at river
                mouths and consist of mostly bowed-up sediments of sandy silts and clay.
                The mud lumps are formed by the upward thrusting of fine clays between
                heavier coarser sediments being deposited on bars at the mouths of the river
                passes. The clay is forced upward through overlying materials and may
                emerge rapidly like a small volcano, spewing marsh gas and mud. Small
                mounds are formed that usually are eroded by wave action within 15 years.
                The action of waves and uplift on the mounds may produce features such as
                cliff faces and step-like terraces. In addition to being unique geological
                features,the mud lumps are important bird nesting areas.

                        Environmental Management Unit III.

                        Source of Information,
                             Kniffen, Fred B. 1968. Louisiana, Its Land and People.
                                  Louisiana State University Press.

                  6.    freshwater Impoundments in the Marshes
                             There are four areas within the coastal marshes that have been
                impounded for waterfowl management or water supply. Freshwater pools
                have been created by leveeing off natural marsh in which water levels are
                manipulated by pumping or control structures. Although natural marshland
                processes have been somewhat altered, productive waterfowl and fishing
                areas have been created. Two of these impoundments are on refuges in the
                prairie marshes of Southwestern Louisiana, another is in the saline marshes
                of lower Barataria Bay and the fourth is in the delta marshes near the mouth of
                the Mississippi River. Other impoundments are found on Marsh Island and
                Rockefeller Refuges, but these are brackish water types. A description of each
                freshwater impoundment follows.

                        1)   Sabine Refuge Pool. This area, along with two other smaller
                pools, consists of 34,000 acres of freshwater marsh. The area is heavily
                utilized as wintering and nesting habitat by many species of waterfowl,
                shorebirds and wading birds,and also provides good to excellent freshwater
                fishing.                           35
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                   2)   Lacassine Refuge Pool. This pool consists of 16,000 acres
           and serves as a roosting and feeding area for peak populations of 400,000
           ducks, white-fronted geese and blue and snow geese. Many wading birds
           nest in the pool including roseate spoon1bills, white-faced ibises, white
           ibises, common and snowy egrets, Louisiana and little blue herons, black-
           crowned and yellow-crowned night herons and anhingas. Here also is the
           first American nestin g colony of cattle egrets outside of Florida. Vegeta-
           tion consists primarily of bulltongue, maidencane, watershield, waterlily,
           spikerush, and southern bulrush. The pool provides excellent largemouth
           bass fishing.

                   3)  Grand Ecaille Sulphur Pits. Freeport Sulphur Company has
           created a unique situation in Southeastern Barataria Bay with the impound-
           ment of two pits of 134 acres. These pits were created by leveeing off an
           area of saline marsh and are utilized as a source of freshwater for the
           nearby   Sulphur mine. Freshwater is heated in boilers and then pumped
           underground to melt sulphur deposits. The need for freshwater for the
           mining process has lead to the impoundment of the reservoirs. Surrounded
           by the saline waters of Lake Grand Ecaille, the pits support excellent
           populations of largemouth bass.

                   4)  Garden Island Bay Sulphur Pits. These pits were created for
           the same purpose as those at Grand Ecaille by Freeport Sulphur Company.
           They are located off Cadro Pass south of Pass a Loutre and consist of two
           pits of approximately 650 acres with an average depth of 6 to 8 feet. The
           periodic pumping of nutrient rich river water into the reservoir continually
           rejuvenates and fertilizes its waters and produces a lush growth of sub-
           mergent grasses. Small forage fish such as gizzard shad, skipjack herring,
           and different species of shiners are also introduced into the pits when
           pumping occurs. Due to the warm waters of the Gulf that surround the Delta
           and the fact that the Delta extends for over 100 miles into the Gulf below
           New Orleans, a nearly year round growing season occurs. Temperatures
           are characteristic of a tropical to semi-tropical climatic regime and the
           area annually has over @50 frost-free days. These conditions combine to
           produce a phenomenal growth rate of the fishes present in the pits. Large
           populations of large mouth bass, yellow bass, black crappie, bluegill, blue
           catfish, striped mullet, and alligator gar occur which provide excellent
           sport fishing. The pits are located  within the Pass a loutre Public Shooting
           Grounds and also provide good waterfowl hunting.

                   Environmental Management Units III, IV, VIII and IX.

                   Source of Information:
                       Burk and Associates, Inc. 1976. Field investigations
                            by staff personnel.

                                             36
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                                  "loll-III

            Deep freshwater marsh. Sabine Refuge pool
<pb n="56" />

                            Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife. 1974. Proposed
                                 Lacassine Wilderness Area, Louisiana. Draft
                                 Environmental Statement.
                            Walther, John. Refuge Manager, Sabine Refuge.
                                 Personal communication.

                  7.    New Atchafalaya Delta
                            Deposition of alluvial sediments by the various sub deltas of
                the Mississippi River is tho primary factor rosponsible for the crcatioii of
                all of what is today's coastal Louisiana. * This basic geological process
                has been greatly restricted due to man-made levees along the Mississippi's
                channel. Today, the dominant geological process in the coastal area is
                one of land loss due to subsidence, salt water intrusion and wave induced
                erosion. The Mississippi's deltaic plain is in various stages of deteriora-
                tion as the Gulf's tides and waves constantly eat away at the coastal
                marshes. However, in Atchafalaya Bay, the Atchafalaya River is building
                a new delta. The Atchafalaya is the Mississippi's major tributary and
                carries a tremendous load of silt. Much of this silt is being deposited as
                mud flats at the river's mouth and a new land mass is gradually taking form
                in northern Atchafalaya Bay. Eventually, as natural levees and interior
                marsh develop, the delta will take on the physical appearance of the active
                delta at the mouth of the Mississippi. Fish and wildlife characteristic of
                the Mississippi Delta will gradually become established. Ideal habitat for
                waterfowl, fur-bearers, freshwater and estuarine fishes will develop. The
                new delta will contain approximately 192,000 acres and will extend out
                beyond Point au Fer Island by the year 2020.

                        Although this process of delta building was an inherent characteristic
                of the past geological history of coastal Louisiana, it is unique today because
                of man's activities. This new delta represents the major area on the coast
                where accretion and land building is occurring.

                        Environmental Management Unit V.

                        Source of Information:
                             Gagliano, S.M. and J.L. van Beek. 1970. Geologic and
                                 Geomorphic Aspects of Deltaic Processes, Mississippi
                                 Delta System. Hydrologic and Geologic Studies of
                                 Coastal Louisiana, Report No. 1, Coastal Resources
                                 Unit, Center for Wetland Resources, LSU, Baton Rouge, La.
                             Duffy, McFadden. 1976. Of Time and the River.       Louisiana
                                 Conservationist, Vol. 28 (3 &amp; 4).

                                                 37
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            8.   Big Woods Island, Dewevville Terr'ace
                      Big Woods Island represents the westernmost meander scar of
          the Mississippi River delta. Originally part of an active channel of the
          Vermilion River, an old Mississippi distributary, this island is on the
          dividing line between the deltaic and chenier plain marshes. Geologically,
          it is known as a Deweyville Terrace and consists of a series of ridges and
          swales that were produced by the gradual movement of the Vermilion River
          channel. Thi-s shifting of the river deposited sediments along cut banks
          which accumulated.into low arcuate ridges.

                 Big Woods Island and adjoining Palmetto Island have dense growths
          of bottomland hardwoods and are surrounded by cypress swamp. The swamp
          probably represents the old filled river channel. Both islands are about 4
          square miles in size and elevated 5 to 6 feet above the surrounding swamp.
          Palmetto Island has been proposed as a state preservation area in the state
          .parks system. The islands are located near Esther, Louisiana.

                 Environmental Management Unit VIII.

                 Source of Information:
                      Burk and Associates, Inc., 1976. Field investigation
                          by staff personnel.
                      McIntire, William. Geologist, Coastal Studies Institute.
                          Personal communication,

                                        38
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    MISCELLANEOUS
   FEATURES
<pb n="59" />

                 D. MISCELLANEOUS FEATURES

                   1.   Potential Registered Natural Landmarks
                            Five of the areas listed as unique botanical communities have
                 been nominated as Potential Registered Natural Landmarks. The National
                 Registry of Natural Landmarks is a program administered by the National
                 Park Service with the objective of encouraging preservation of sites signi-
                 ficantly illustrating the geological and ecological character of the United
                 States. The landmarks are also chosen to enhance the educational, sci-
                 entific and cultural value of. the sites and to foster a greater concern for the
                 conservation of the nation's natural heritage.

                        The sites recommended as natural landmarks are the Pontchatoula
                 marsh in Tangipahoa Parish; Honey Island Swamp in St. Tammany Parish;
                 Blind River Swamp in Livingston, St. James and Ascension Parishes; Amite
                 and Tickfaw Rivers in Livingston Parish and the Atchafalaya Basin in St.
                 Martin, St. Mary and Assumption Parishes. The Atchafalaya Basin has also
                 been proposed as a preservation area.

                        Environmental Management Unit I, V and VI.

                        Source of Information:
                            Goodwin, Richard H. and William A. Niering. 197 1.
                                 Inland Waterways of the United States Evaluated
                                 as Potential Registered Natural Landmarks. Vol. I.
                                 Alabama to Missouri. U.S.D.I. National Park
                                 Service, Washington, D.C.

                        Numerous other sites that have been described in this report should
                 be evaluated as possible registered natural landmarks. Some of these areas
                 meet the criteria established for natural landmarks,yet have not been recom-
                 mended for this status. It is only through programs such as this that these
                 unique environments can be preserved and protected. All of the coastal fea-
                 tures discussed in this report should also be evaluated for possible designa-
                 tion as preservation areas as required by the Coastal Zone Management Act of
                 1972. Undoubtedly, certain ones will meet the criteria established for desig-
                 nation 'of such areas.

                        In the final analysis, it is the ecological, hydrological and geological
                 processes that produced these unique features that ultimately need preserving.
                 In a deltaic environment as dynamic as coastal Louisiana, many of the land-
                 forms are only temporary. They constantly change in response to dominant pro-
                 cesses such as erosion" accretion, tidal currents, storms and organic
                 production. If these processes are maintained, unique features that exist in
                 today's coastal Louisiana will always be a part of this valuable ecosystem.

                                                 39
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