The Restoration of Lake Pontchartrain

August 7, 2025

The famed brackish bay that forms New Orleans’ northern border is offering great fishing again thanks to decades of restoration in the Pontchartrain Basin and Mississippi River

Lake Pontchartrain was the picture of consistency for speckled trout catches throughout the spring and summer of 2025.

Generally, the hot trout bite in the eastern part of the massive brackish bay that creates New Orleans’ northern boundary peters out in early June and returns around mid-October when massive schools of white shrimp begin leaving brackish marshes.

Climbing water temperatures, longer days and the itch to make babies in saltier waters push trout into Lake Borgne and towards Chandeleur Sound for the summer. This year was different, however. Trout catches stayed consistent through the Fourth of July weekend.

One veteran Pontchartrain guide and avid angler reported he was having trouble finding trout inside Louisiana’s recently implemented 13- to 20-inch slot, not because the fish were too small to reach the bottom end but so many fish were pushing past the 20-inch mark. Louisiana’s trout regulations only allow two 20-plus inch long trout to be kept in a day.

Lake Pontchartrain has always been a decent fishery, producing redfish, drum, sheepshead, big jack crevalle, and the occasional tarpon as well as a host of freshwater species like largemouth bass, panfish, and blue catfish in addition to the trout.

But, 50 years ago, after shell dredging operations had mined the majority of the lake’s extensive water-cleaning Rangia clam beds to make roads and concrete and poorly treated sewage was pumped into the lake from bordering cities, it seemed unlikely the lake and surrounding wetlands would one day be held in as high or higher regard as other well-known Louisiana trout producing ports like Grand Isle or Cocodrie.

Saltwater intrusion had killed off historic submerged grass beds that had long helped clean the water while providing vital fisheries habitat.

Lake Pontchartrain’s recovery can be traced back to 1989 to the creation of the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation, now called the Pontchartrain Conservancy. A group of New Orleans-area citizens and scientists had enough of the constant poor water quality and loss of habitat that had plagued the lake for nearly a century. Throughout the 1990s and beyond, the Foundation’s “Save Our Lake” campaign became ubiquitous across the region with countless cars and trucks emblazoned with the simple and direct message on blue and white bumper stickers.

Shell-dredging operations were banned in 1990, allowing the mussels to begin a slow comeback. Hundreds of millions were invested in updating sewage treatment facilities, while dumping solid waste like tires and old appliances was curbed by increased enforcement and fines.

Saltwater intrusion from the ill-fated, manmade Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (MRGO), the culprit for much of the flooding in the New Orleans area during Hurricane Katrina, had also killed off many of the historic submerged grass beds that lined the lake and tens of thousands of acres of fresh and brackish marsh. That grass had long helped clean the water while providing vital fisheries habitat.

While some argue the super-salty waters coming up the lightly traveled and destructive ship channel improved speckled trout catches, the increased salinities also led to broad areas of low oxygen along the lake’s south shore while poisoning wetlands and cypress swamps throughout the broad basin.

The Conservancy’s work has been aided by a program it helped create in 2000. The Lake Pontchartrain Basin Restoration Program was first authorized by the Lake Pontchartrain Restoration Act, authored by then Congressman David Vitter. Administered by the Environmental Protection Agency, the program began making small-scale grants in 2002. Towns, parishes, advocacy groups, universities, and others capable of developing projects, science, and public education programs that improved the Pontchartrain Basin’s water quality, fish and wildlife habitat, and increased public access to healthy water and fisheries were all eligible to receive funding.

A 1995 comprehensive management plan and subsequent 2006 comprehensive habitat management plan have guided the decision-making for projects receiving funding from the program.

Of course, much has changed since 1995 in the Pontchartrain Basin, which ranges from southern Mississippi across lakes Maurepas, Pontchartrain and Borgne as well as the cypress swamps and coastal marshes east of the Mississippi River all the way to its delta.

The saltwater intrusion from the MRGO has been slowed by closure structures on either end of the channel, while new connections between the Mississippi River and adjacent marshes have opened south of New Orleans bringing in additional sediment and freshwater.

TRCP has been working with the region’s best water quality, habitat restoration, and fisheries management scientists since early 2024 to develop a new management plan for the basin.

Hurricane Katrina and other hurricanes and tropical storms exposed major weaknesses in storm protection levees and floodgates leading to more physical structures to protect communities. Growing communities between Baton Rouge and New Orleans and along Lake Pontchartrain’s Northshore have put pressure on sewage treatment facilities and aging septic systems and increased stormwater drainage. Also, invasive plants, fish, and snails have found their way into rivers, bayous and lakes across the region.

Recognizing the need to update the management plans and expand the restoration program, Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy secured $53 million in 2021 to, in part, fund an update to the comprehensive management plan to reflect the changes in the Basin over the last 30 years. The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership has been working with the region’s best water quality, habitat restoration, and fisheries management scientists and experts since early 2024 to develop a new management plan. It’s set for completion in 2026 and will guide decisions to continue to develop the best projects, science, and community engagement needed to keep Lake Pontchartrain and adjacent waters healthy and productive into the future.

The success of Lake Pontchartrain’s restoration should be celebrated by all who live in South Louisiana and the entire region. The boats fishing the lake’s famous bridges or chasing birds diving on schools of white shrimp in the fall are a reminder of just how much progress has been made in the last 30-plus years. Hopefully, thanks to the hard work of a handful of elected officials, advocacy groups, and residents working to update the Pontchartrain Basin’s management plan, that progress will continue for the next 30 years and beyond.

(Note: This story originally appeared in the July 2025 issue of Louisiana Sportsman.)

All images courtesy Chris Macaluso

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by: Guest Author Austin Evans

posted in: Habitat and Clean Water

August 5, 2025

Hooked Early, Hooked for Life: Why Kids Hold the Future of Our Fisheries

TRCP’s marine fisheries intern reflects on how personal experience shaped his interest in the outdoors, the need for youth angling participation, and the importance of forage fish conservation for the next generation

Memory is a weird thing. It helps us to not repeat mistakes from the past and enables us to recall some of our favorite times. You might remember your first-grade class pet’s name but forget your Netflix password four times in a month. There’s not much rhyme or reason to it.

Some people talk about how they can remember the first fish they ever caught. I’m not one of those people — I couldn’t tell you what species it was or where I was when I caught it. However, I can tell you the first time I remember being jealous of a fish someone else caught. One of my friends, Winslow, hooked a bonnethead shark in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina (pictured below), and while I did catch some seatrout that day, it was the allure of Winslow’s shark that brought me back to fishing over and over again. So one thing I do know about memory is that when we learn to fish at a young age, we’ll never forget some of those early experiences – and they will help shape our values and interests.

Me photobombing Winslow and my godfather, Dave D., holding the bonnethead years ago. Credit: Sid Evans

The Importance of Starting Young

Last summer, I was lucky enough to work as a fishing and kayaking camp counselor in Charleston and experience the joy of catching a fish for the first time again — this time from a new perspective. My main job was watching kids catch shrimps, minnows, and other small fish with nets and rods off the dock and taking them around in kayaks. What many of these kids learned was that all of these species play a key role in coastal habitats by serving as “forage” (a food source) for larger fish and wildlife.

“More than 90 percent of adult participation in hunting and fishing is directly related to active participation as a youth.“

What amazed me was that kids would come back each day with more excitement and knowledge about fishing and the ecosystem than the day before, and all with their own reasons. A full net of baby shrimps one day turned overnight into questions about osprey and the local food chain. One kid caught a stingray and had a ridiculous grin on his face for the rest of the camp week. Others who weren’t into catching fish were amazed by the dolphins that swam right up to our kayaks in Shem Creek.

According to data from the US Fish and Wildlife Service, more than 90 percent of adult participation in hunting and fishing is directly related to active participation as a youth. Kids that grow up with great outdoor memories tend to pursue those hobbies for the rest of their life, and taking care of our public lands, restoring our wetlands and fisheries, and ensuring access for hunting and angling will be of the types of issues that will be a priority for them.

A kayaking field trip I co-led on Shem Creek off Charleston Harbor, 2024. Credit: Coastal Expeditions

Fisheries Challenges Facing the Next Generation

Many of the marine waters that Southern and Eastern anglers grew up on are now struggling. The management of forage fish like menhaden has been hamstrung over the years due to the influence of industrial-scale reduction fisheries in the Gulf and on the Eastern Seaboard. Menhaden are a vital food source for numerous predators, including larger fish, marine mammals, and birds, and lower localized population numbers have led to ecological backsliding in areas like the Chesapeake Bay, which can impact fisheries in other Atlantic states, including South Carolina.

Industrial-scale removals of menhaden also have other negative impacts. A 2024 study on bycatch in the industrial Gulf menhaden fishery indicates that approximately 22,000 breeding-size redfish, tens of millions of non-target forage fish, and numerous other marine species were killed by the menhaden industry off Louisiana’s coast last year alone.

To effectively manage our coastal ecosystems, we need to have a two-pronged approach: ensuring that forage fish populations continue to improve through federal and state regulations and marine fisheries policies, and getting more young people outside with a rod in their hands to create future champions for our favorite waters.

A younger me with my father holding a small seatrout. Credit: Dave DiBenedetto

Ensuring Our Angling Legacy

Kids really don’t need much to have fun. They just need to get outside to experience fishing and hunting opportunities firsthand, and it’s our responsibility to give them that chance as often as we can. The simple memories that kids make from their outdoor experiences will ensure that as long as the next generation loves fishing, like we do, our waters will be left in much better hands.

It’s also our responsibility to guarantee healthy fish populations for that next generation of anglers. And one of the best ways to achieve that in Atlantic and Gulf waters is through protecting forage fish like menhaden.

Find more information about the ecological and recreational importance of menhaden, herring, and other forage fish and what we can do to support them on TRCP’s Forage Fish Recovery Page.

Austin Evans is TRCP’s 2025 marine fisheries intern.

by: Noah Davis

posted in: Habitat and Clean Water

onX and TRCP Release Map of Public Acres Available for Potential Sale

First-of-its-kind tool identifies six million acres the Bureau of Land Management could advance for sale

onX and the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership today launched an interactive map that identifies lands deemed eligible for potential sale by the Bureau of Land Management. This map is the first publicly available, easy-to-use tool to inform both the public and policymakers about the locations of public land parcels that the federal government could advance for sale.

“Public lands, like those managed by the BLM, support 178.5 million outdoor recreation participants who rely on these landscapes to hunt, hike, fish, off-road, ski, climb, and bike,” said onX CEO Laura Orvidas. “The outdoor community cherishes these places, and has recently fought fiercely to keep them public. Yet the land disposal process has historically been opaque–often buried in hundreds of pages of government documents. We created this map with TRCP to bring transparency to the land disposal process, to inform outdoor enthusiasts of nearby parcels, and to encourage lawmakers to uphold existing policies that safeguard the public interest when considering any land sales.”

This map was developed using publicly available GIS data derived from 160 individual BLM Resource Management Plans in 17 western states. It reveals 6,086,900 acres of public land marked for potential sale.

“For the first time, the public and policymakers can engage with one map that spans most BLM planning areas, and see public land parcels eligible for sale in the context of other landmarks, like towns, roads, and adjoining public lands,” said Joel Pedersen, president and CEO of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. “TRCP is proud to partner with onX to share this valuable tool that shows specific locations of land that could be considered for sale like never before.”

The six million acres depicted in the map are not guaranteed to be sold, rather, they have been identified in BLM land use plans as eligible for potential disposal or sale. Identification of lands as eligible for disposal does not trigger immediate action, it means those parcels may be considered for sale if and when a proposal is advanced. Importantly, any future sale must go through a multi-step process that includes additional opportunities for public review and comment. By showing these parcels on a map, the public can more readily participate in any future public process.

Explore the map HERE.

Learn more about the BLM’s land disposal history and current process HERE.

Public lands need champions, and thankfully, several bipartisan members of Congress are taking the lead. Learn more about the Public Land Caucus HERE.

by: Noah Davis

posted in: Habitat and Clean Water

August 1, 2025

TRCP Applauds Brian Nesvik Confirmation as Fish and Wildlife Service Director

Former Wyoming Game and Fish Director a friend to hunters and anglers

Today, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership cheers the Senate confirmation of Brian Nesvik to lead the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. The new FWS Director previously served as the Wyoming Game and Fish Director and has an extensive track record of working to conserve and manage fish and wildlife species and their habitat.

“TRCP has worked with Nesvik for many years, and we are pleased to have him in the role of Fish and Wildlife Service Director,” said Joel Pedersen, president and CEO of TRCP. “We look forward to working with him in his new capacity to conserve fish and wildlife habitat and bolster hunting and fishing opportunities.”

The USFWS manages more than 560 National Wildlife Refuges and 70 national fish hatcheries that provide crucial habitat and support opportunities to hunt and fish across the nation. The USFWS also oversees the Endangered Species Act and the Migratory Bird Act as well as programs focused on managing invasive species and providing oversight on importing and exporting wildlife.

Learn more about the USFWS HERE.

by: Noah Davis

posted in: Habitat and Clean Water

July 31, 2025

The Tradition Continues

TRCP’s Western conservation communications manager reflects on the recent victory for public lands and the opportunities this freedom affords

My dad and I worked our way up the creek, which was the only way through the willows, the only path to follow. The stream emptied the peaks above and had flattened out in this hanging valley before it would again find its course to pour lower into the valley.

Where the water gained a foot of depth in front of a young ponderosa that had fallen in, we watched cutthroat trout interrupt the flow as they rose to a hatch of small, gray mayflies that tumbled in the current.

I’d caught a 10-incher in the last bend, so dad took his position on the left bank. Back far enough so his shadow wouldn’t reach over the water, he cast a #14 purple haze toward the top of the run in the bubble line that hugged the grass.

On a day like the one we’d been having, there should’ve been no surprise when the trout appeared below the fly. But there is always a reaction—the same as when a woodcock flushes from cover, or a deer walks into a clearing—of a trout materializing where only a moment ago there was none.

The trout followed the drift for a moment, then swallowed the fly with confidence. Dad’s 3wt bowed with the strong runs and we shared smiles watching the beautiful fish turn in the clear water. The black-spotted Westslope cutthroat came to his hand. The pastel cheek iridescent above the orange flash of the slash beneath the chin.

After a quick picture, the fish bolted back into the depth, disappearing in the nervous water as mayflies continued to float past.

“Plenty of water ahead,” my dad said, drying his hands on his pants.

“And plenty of day to fill,” I smiled back.

For the last dozen summers, my dad and I have spent weeks together in the backcountry of America’s public lands. Sometimes my mom and brother would accompany us, other times my wife, but the constant has been my dad and me folding into the routine of sleeping, eating, and fishing.

This most recent trip felt different. Not that anything had changed, but that it had stayed the same.

During the months before our father-son-first-week-of-July excursion, I’d worked with dozens of members of our TRCP team to help elevate the voices of tens of thousands of fellow hunters and anglers, leading outdoor brands, and partners in urging lawmakers to remove public land sales from budget reconciliation legislation.

We built action alerts and sent emails, organized letters and meetings, called our representatives and spread the news far and wide. We experienced small victories and setbacks and kept pushing knowing that every message to Congress was another step toward keeping our public lands in public hands. It was a powerful and moving moment to be committed our public lands that are the pride of our nation. I was honored to play a small part in this work.

By the time my trip rolled around, the team knew a decision was imminent, yet nothing had been announced. The day before I disappeared into mountains remote enough to bar me from any news, the amendment that would have mandated the sale of millions of acres of public lands was removed.

The celebration began across social media, news outlets, and emails from engaged organizations. The challenge that we had spent months working to overcome was overcome thanks to tens of thousands of conservation-minded people, as well as national, state, and local hunting and fishing businesses and organizations, and leadership from a bipartisan group of public land champions in Congress. Public lands had won!

The beaver dam had been blown out, but still the far side benefited from the slower water where the foundation clung to the bottom. A willow carcass made the run that much more enticing to fish and a danger to an errant cast.

And an errant cast was thrown by me so that my royal Wulff wrapped around a skinny finger of a branch and hung there for just long enough that disappointment grew in my stomach for ruining such a pool. Then, gracefully, the tug of the current on my line pulled the hook to set it free and the fly landed on the water.

Because the accidental placement became accidentally perfect for the drift, a cutthroat rose and swallowed the fly. I watched the orange sides turn and bully into the tangle. My tippet held and finally the trout came into the shallows where I beheld its spot-free side before the black studs appeared on the tail. A perfect fish in a perfect stream.

When the cutthroat returned to the run, Dad and I took a moment to drink some water before continuing. In that still moment, a time when our minds weren’t only occupied by the best path around a log jam or if that stretch was worth fishing, we each said out loud how grateful we were to live in a country that has public land where we can explore and be together without any worry or need to ask permission. That these millions of acres are ours to cherish.

And then we went back to fishing.

The victory of defeating public land sales is worth celebrating, but this most recent challenge is a reminder that our public lands are never guaranteed.

Learn more about how you can stay engaged on hunting and fishing access through our updated Public Land Access webpage below.

Learn More

Read more public land reflections from the TRCP team HERE.