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Restoring America’s Largest Swamp to Improve Louisiana Fisheries
The Atchafalaya Basin is in decline due to the construction of levees and canals, the proliferation of aquatic invasive species, and sediment build-up, but restoration will benefit habitat while maintaining flood control
The Atchafalaya Basin is the embodiment of Sportsman’s Paradise.
It’s America’s largest swamp, encompassing more than 250,000 acres of iconic cypress and tupelo gum forests, winding bayous, and lakes that give way to growing deltas as the Atchafalaya River’s sediment-heavy waters near the Gulf.
Too many Louisianans to count have explored the fertile bayous, bays, lakes, and flats of the Basin in pursuit of bass, sac-a-lait, goggle eye, hand-sized bluegill, and numerous other fish.
The Atchafalaya also supports ample deer and squirrel hunting opportunities and world’s largest annual wild crawfish harvest. It teems with alligators, ducks, and other waterfowl and supports commercial fishing for catfish, buffalo, carp, and blue crabs.
While the Basin is inarguably one of the country’s top fisheries, it’s become obvious to many its productivity has declined over the last 20 years. Sediment coming down the Atchafalaya River, which is fed by the combined waters of the Mississippi and Red Rivers and directed by the Old River Control Structure, is filling in and shallowing bayous, canals, and lakes throughout the Basin.
The sediment that makes it all the way to the Basin’s final stretches in Atchafalaya Bay is building extensive deltas at the mouth of the Atchafalaya River and the Wax Lake Outlet, expanding valuable habitat for ducks, bald eagles, and a wide variety of other birds and fish. However, in the northern and middle grounds of the Basin, areas like Grand Lake, Little Bayou Pigeon, Buffalo Cove, and Grand River Flats, the sediment is clogging waterways and blocking some north-south flows that are critical to bringing oxygenated waters into the swamp.
“While the Basin is inarguably one of the country’s top fisheries, it’s become obvious to many its productivity has declined over the last 20 years.”
Other man-made issues plague the Basin as well. First, while it remains wild in appearance and supports a wide range of fisheries and wildlife, the Basin is a heavily managed flood control spillway used by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to help make sure the Mississippi River doesn’t overtop its levees or tries to switch course and begin to use the Atchafalaya River as its primary outlet to the Gulf.
Guide levees built by the Corps to stop floodwaters from spreading and protect communities have cut off annual spring floods from filtering into areas that were once part of the Basin like Lake Verret and Lake Fausse Point. Areas inside the levees are silting in while the swamps cut off by the levees are sinking and filling in with rotting leaves and other organic materials.
Man-made oil and gas canals and barge channels like the Whiskey Bay Pilot Channel have changed the natural water flows and spoil banks have interrupted the critical “sheet” flow that spread nutrients and sediments across the swamp during spring floods.
Invasive vegetation like salvinia and hyacinth have choked off waterways and Asian carp have infiltrated, disrupting the food chain for gamefish, catfish, and other species.
“Atchafalaya bass anglers have been sounding the alarm about bass populations and overall size of fish for more than a decade.”
Long-time Atchafalaya bass anglers have been sounding the alarm about bass populations and overall size of fish for more than a decade, noting tournament stringers have declined in total weight by as much as five pounds on average over the last decade-plus. Biologists with Louisiana’s Department of Wildlife and Fisheries have figured the average life span of a Basin bass to be about three years, much shorter than bass in reservoirs.
Crawfishermen are feeling it as well with low dissolved oxygen levels often killing their catch in the traps before they can sack the crawfish and get them to market.
Low dissolved oxygen could be the chief culprit limiting bass size as well. The stress of low dissolved oxygen levels, especially during summer months when water temps can climb into the high 80s and in areas not getting the proper water movement, causes bass to stop eating and forces them to concentrate in areas with higher oxygen.
State and federal habitat and fisheries managers understand the problems and are trying to take some steps, working within the constraints of funding and the reality that the Basin is a critical flood control tool.
The Corps of Engineers is in the middle of its Lower Mississippi River Comprehensive Management Study, a multi-year, $25 million “Mega Study” authorized by Congress to examine changes that can be made in Mississippi River management from southern Missouri to the Gulf to improve navigation, flood control, and recreational access and better manage water and habitat for fish and wildlife production. The study is set to conclude in late 2027 and could be the basis for federally approved water resources projects that affect the Atchafalaya Basin and other Mississippi River floodplains for decades.
At the same time, Louisiana’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority is in the middle of a four-year process of public engagement, engineering, and modeling and identifying funding sources for a comprehensive Master Plan for the Basin that would prescribe a host of dredging, water quality, habitat restoration, boat launches, and other public access projects.
The Nature Conservancy, a habitat restoration and preservation-focused nonprofit group, is working closely with both agencies and the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries through the Sustainable Rivers Program to develop specific recommendations on how water levels and habitat can be better managed in the Basin to improve fisheries, wildlife, and forests. Among some early recommendations are inundating the Basin’s floodplains early enough in the year and long enough for bass and sac-a-lait to successfully spawn, drawing down water in the early summer before high temperatures kill oxygen levels, and pulsing water through the Old River Control Structure into the Basin in the late summer to improve water quality.
All of these efforts will take time to develop. But it’s good news that state and federal agencies and conservation organizations are paying real attention to the problems in the Atchafalaya Basin and thinking beyond temporary fixes and short-term band-aids.
Hopefully that means 10 years from now Basin bass anglers are again bragging about tournament stringers instead of still lamenting about what used to be.
(Note: This story originally appeared in the June 2025 issue of Louisiana Sportsman.)
All images courtesy Chris Macaluso
In the Arena: Mike McTee
TRCP’s “In the Arena” series highlights the individual voices of hunters and anglers who, as Theodore Roosevelt so famously said, strive valiantly in the worthy cause of conservation.
Mike McTee
Hometown: Missoula, MT
Occupation: Researcher at MPG Ranch
Conservation credentials: On top of publishing scientific papers on topics ranging from bighorn lamb natural history to the chemical makeup of soil at shooting ranges, Mike McTee has used his expertise and writing talents to share conservation issues with the hunting and fishing public. McTee’s book Wilted Wings follows his own journey of understanding the unintentional impacts of lead bullets left in hunted animals on scavengers, particularly raptors such as eagles, and how hunters, America’s original conservationists, can help.
Mike McTee is a trained scientist who feels comfortable in a lab, but most comfortable at 7,000 feet following elk into the timber or knee deep in a cutthroat stream. Doomed to be an angler as his father had him casting as soon as he could stand upright, McTee has also hunted big game across his home state of Montana, including a bighorn sheep ram from the famed Rock Creek herd. His article about this hunt won him the Jack O’Connor Writers Award from the Wild Sheep Foundation and the Jack O’Connor Hunting Heritage and Education Center.
Here is his story.
TRCP: How were you introduced to hunting, fishing, and the outdoors? Who introduced you?
Mike McTee: My dad was a die-hard traditional archer. He painted and fletched his own wooden arrows and even set up an archery course in our backyard. By kindergarten, I could probably handle a bow and arrow better than a pencil.
My dad also had me reeling in trout when I was just getting out of diapers. By the time I was around 12 years old, fishing was hardwired into my operating system. With a lake only a five-minute walk away from our house, the addiction was easy to feed. To this day, fishing has been the compass that steers many aspects of my life.
TRCP: Tell us about one of your most memorable outdoor adventures.
Mike McTee: After finishing my undergrad at the University of Montana, I bought a series of plane tickets that allowed me to bounce around Oceania, Australia, and Asia. I ended up stopping in New Zealand for six weeks. On one five-day hitch in the Southern Alps, I found the perfect trout stream. The diamond clear waters meandered through meadows of tussock grass in a valley framed by beech forest and mountain peaks.
The first pool had current sweeping toward a rock wall. I cast my #16 parachute Adams and watched a 25” rainbow slowly sip the fly. The day continued in that remarkable fashion as I stalked and landed massive trout in complete solitude. The area left such an impression, my wife and I returned for our honeymoon.
TRCP: If you could hunt or fish anywhere, where would it be and why?
Mike McTee: A fly-in caribou hunt in Alaska always beckons. What lures me most would be sharing that wild landscape with close friends. There’s a special camaraderie that develops in the backcountry. Sure, you’re all friends back home, but on a long hunt, you become a team.
TRCP: How does conservation help enhance your outdoor life?
Mike McTee: I’m fortunate to work a conservation-oriented job among superb naturalists and ecologists. Office conversations are wide-ranging, from rangeland restoration to the behavior of bull elk on their summer range. So I’m often looking at the world through an ecological lens, whether at my desk or sneaking through the woods with a slung rifle. It seems like every year my motivation for an outing becomes a little less about catching fish or securing venison than simply seeing what nature is up to that day.
TRCP: What are the major conservation challenges where you live?
Mike McTee: Just to my west over the Bitterroot Mountains are some of the most pristine salmon and steelhead streams in the Lower 48, but they’re nearly empty of anadromous fish. Salmon and steelhead face copious threats in the ocean, but the fish born in these remote Idaho tributaries must also navigate a gauntlet of dams, posing unique challenges in each direction.
When I’m exploring those streams and find old-growth western red cedars, I imagine their inner rings holding faint traces of nutrients brought from the ocean by steelhead and salmon centuries ago. If the four Snake River dams are removed, maybe young tree rings will once again hold the ocean’s fingerprint.
TRCP: Why is it important to you to be involved in conservation?
Mike McTee: I came across a placard while fishing the Yellowstone River this fall explaining how I’d be standing near the base of an enormous dam if it weren’t for a group of conservationists. Back in the 1960s and 70s, plans were being drafted to impound the Yellowstone and fill the Paradise Valley with a reservoir. The prospect of drowning one of the most world’s most stunning landscapes luckily sparked sufficient outrage that the project was scrapped.
The placard reminded me that when I’m out hunting and fishing, I’m a beneficiary of prior conservationists. So, when it comes to current efforts, I ask myself how I can move toward a more active role, whether it’s writing an article about a proposed rare-earth mine that endangers a local stream, planting native flowers for pollinators, or simply picking up empty Bud Light cans that washed up on the river. It all adds up.
TRCP: Why should conservation matter to the next generation of hunters and anglers?
Mike McTee: Conservation issues evolve. New issues emerge. Only five years ago, I never worried about shooting a deer that might test positive for chronic wasting disease. Now I test every animal. The conservation playbook must be constantly updated by each generation. But no matter the issue, a healthy landscape is the beating heart of what we value.
Judging by the number of young hunters and anglers I see at trailheads and on the water, I’d like to think we’re in good hands.
Photo credit: Mike McTee
The TRCP is your resource for all things conservation. In our weekly Roosevelt Report, you’ll receive the latest news on emerging habitat threats, legislation and proposals on the move, public land access solutions we’re spearheading, and opportunities for hunters and anglers to take action. Sign up now.
Our Top Conservation Achievements in 2025
Your support helped make these conservation achievements possible.
In many ways, 2025 was a year defined by gridlock and uncertainty in Washington D.C. Partisan divides slowed much of Congress, budgets were tight, and long-term solutions often felt just out of reach. Yet even in this environment, one thing remains clear: when hunters, anglers, and conservation partners stay engaged and unite, conservation solutions take shape and harmful proposals sink.
Those moments underscored why steady engagement matters and they reinforce TRCP’s commitment to remain vigilant, build durable coalitions, and continue advocating for the balanced conservation solutions that safeguard America’s lands, waters, and wildlife.
In 2025, the hunting and fishing community stepped into the arena and delivered meaningful achievements that safeguarded access, strengthened habitat, and advanced bipartisan, durable solutions that will benefit the future of our sporting traditions. Here are just a few:
We Held the Line on Public Lands, Together.
Public lands are a cornerstone of America’s conservation legacy – and of our hunting and fishing traditions. In 2025, the sporting and conservation community achieved a significant win that safeguarded our nation’s public lands.
Working alongside a broad, bipartisan coalition, TRCP helped defeat proposals that would have mandated the sale of millions of acres of public lands as part of the budget reconciliation process. Through sustained advocacy and engagement with hunters, anglers, and Congress, those provisions were removed, ensuring that public lands remain in public hands.
That same commitment to collaboration was reflected in the formation of new bipartisan caucuses in Congress, efforts that TRCP helped propel forward by working closely with key lawmakers to grow membership and support early momentum. In the House, lawmakers from both parties launched the Public Lands Caucus to advance common-ground solutions that protect access, habitat, and America’s public lands legacy. In the Senate, the creation of the bipartisan Stewardship Caucus further reinforced the principle that conservation succeeds when leaders work together for the common good – and commit to increasing the pace and scale of stewardship across the public and private lands that hunters and anglers depend on.
Taken together, these underscore the strength of coordinated advocacy and the importance of staying engaged when public lands access and stewardship are on the line
We Expanded Access Through Practical Solutions
Access is fundamental to our outdoor traditions, and 2025 brought continued momentum behind tools that help hunters and anglers navigate the landscape with confidence.
Progress on MAPLand and MAPRoads Acts improved clarity around public access points and legal routes. Continued efforts on the MAPWaters Act advanced a clearer understanding of water access for anglers, while the MAPOceans Act aims to support transparency and access for recreational saltwater fishing.
Together, these initiatives reflect a bipartisan commitment to reduce confusion, avoid conflict, and help people enjoy the outdoors responsibly – proof that progress doesn’t always require sweeping reform to be meaningful.
Read more about how this suite of legislation aims to enhance access to your public lands and waters by digitizing public access records and paper maps HERE.
We Advanced Habitat and Forest Management That Works
Strong conservation outcomes depend not just on safeguards, but on thoughtful, science-informed management and 2025 saw meaningful progress on both fronts.
Bipartisan momentum behind the Fix Our Forests Act reflected a shared recognition that healthy forests are essential to resilient wildlife habitat, strong fisheries and watershed health, safer communities, and sustained recreational access. This management-first approach mirrors TRCP’s emphasis on solutions that endure beyond a single season or policy cycle.
That same mindset guided progress on the Farm Bill, which added over $15 billion to the conservation baseline. These investments provide stability for private-land conservation programs and support the landowners who play a critical role in sustaining wildlife habitat across the country.
Targeted investments through USDA also advanced efforts to address Chronic Wasting Disease, supporting the long-term health of the big game herds hunters care deeply about.
We Strengthened Wildlife Connectivity and On-the-Ground Conservation
Some of the most tangible conservation gains in 2025 occurred where conservation meets daily life.
State-level investments in wildlife crossing projects, including efforts in Montana and New Mexico, strengthened habitat connectivity while reducing collisions and improving safety for both wildlife and people. These highlight the power of collaboration and the value of durable, locally supported solutions.
We Demonstrated that Conservation is a High-Return Investment
In 2025, conservation continued to prove its value as a high-return investment for communities, jobs, and economic growth.
A new report showed that investments in fish and wildlife conservation generate significant economic activity nationwide – supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs, contributing billions to GDP, and serving as the bedrock of the $1.1 trillion outdoor recreation economy that many rural and gateway communities depend on.
For hunters, anglers, and community leaders alike, the takeaway is clear: conservation is not only good stewardship – it’s smart economics, delivering significant benefits that support local livelihoods and America’s outdoor heritage.
We Maintained Focus on Bipartisan, Durable Solutions
Not every policy decision in 2025 aligned with the priorities of hunters and anglers – but those moments only reinforced why persistence matters. They sharpened our resolve to stay engaged, to keep building strong bipartisan coalitions, and to remain vigilant in advocating for balanced, durable, science-based solutions. Guided by our mission, TRCP is more committed than ever to standing up for the lands, waters, wildlife, and sporting traditions that define us.
Even as Washington, D.C. continues to navigate uncertainty, one thing remains evident: conservation advances when hunters, anglers, partners, and decision-makers step into the arena together. Collaboration matters. And showing up – year after year – matters. When we unite, we win.
Now Live: onX’s New Film Highlights Access Barriers to Public Lands
Watch the full film below to learn more
onX’s new film, Inaccessible, tells the story of the access barriers surrounding America’s public lands (which hunters and anglers deeply understand) through the lens of a ski mission deep in Montana’s Crazy Mountains.
Joel Webster, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership’s Chief Conservation Officer, appears in the film and shares the history of how checkerboarded land ownership came to be as a result of 19th century railroad land grants. He also explains how these inaccessible acres reduce hunting and fishing opportunities for Americans as well as other forms of recreation.
This story is more than a ski film, it’s about our country’s past, the complexities of land ownership, and the 16 million acres of public land that remain out of reach.
Watch the full film below.
Ski athletes Griffin Post, Emilé Zynobia, and Eric Jackson traverse snowy terrain searching for the best backcountry lines as they explore the public-private checkerboard in the high elevations of the Crazy Mountains. These three athletes hunt, fish, and shred to find common ground across outdoor user groups and unite to protect access to our shared spaces.
America’s 640 million acres of national public lands provide irreplaceable hunting, fishing, hiking, mountain biking, skiing, snowboarding, off-roading, and other recreation opportunities to millions of Americans. That’s why TRCP is committed to protecting public access to our nation’s public lands. Learn more about TRCP’s work to enhance public land access HERE.
Watch the film HERE.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
TRCP has partnered with Afuera Coffee Co. to further our commitment to conservation. $4 from each bag is donated to the TRCP, to help continue our efforts of safeguarding critical habitats, productive hunting grounds, and favorite fishing holes for future generations.
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