The Atchafalaya River Basin Initiative is TNC's long-term vision to conserve and restore the Atchafalaya River Basin, America’s Great Swamp Forest.

We are employing the following strategies to realize our vision for the river basin:

Conservation

The Nature Conservancy purchased 5,359 acres as the Atchafalaya Basin Preserve.

Restoration
Drawing on more than 60 years of experience and proven results, we will work to restore
habitat for fish, wildlife, and other species that rely on the basin’s myriad habitats for survival.
A large part of these efforts will include restoring natural water flows for the benefit of both
people and nature.

Science
At The Nature Conservancy, science is at the heart of who we are and what we do. We will
use science as a guide for our restoration efforts, learning as we go to ensure the long-term
the health of this important place. Scientific monitoring and testing will allow us to understand the
the current health of the basin, how it responds to restoration efforts, and how it can play a role in
mitigating other environmental threats, such as the hypoxic zone in the Gulf of Mexico.

Community
The Atchafalaya River Basin is the place where people have connected to nature for generations.
Through our work, we seek to strengthen, elevate, and sustain the community’s efforts to conserve
this natural resource by working directly with local stakeholders. We are also developing a research
and education center that will serve as a convening space where we can educate others about the
importance of the river basin to Louisiana, the Gulf of Mexico, and the entire country.

Project Results

Conservation: The Nature Conservancy has protected 5,359 acres (Atchafalaya Basin Preserve), and we aim for a total footprint of about 10,000 acres of land in the Atchafalaya Basin Preserve.

Restoration: The Conservancy's first project will restore floodplain connectivity to 5,000 acres. Our ultimate goal is to leverage our work through partnerships to restore floodplain connectivity and function to more than 100,000 acres.

Science: The Conservancy has built and, since 2017, has been implementing a comprehensive scientific monitoring program and has built a Conservation Fellows Program to work with Universities on critical applied science assessments related to restoration. We will continue our comprehensive monitoring program and our Conservation Fellows Program to monitor and evaluate the results of restoration in the Atchafalaya and to export lessons learned and expertise to other river basins worldwide. At present, we have had seven students enrolled in the Fellows Program, and five have graduated with a Master of Science degree. We will grow our Conservation Fellows Program to educate and train the conservation leaders of the future.

Community: The Conservancy built the Atchafalaya Conservation Center, a floating outreach and science center in the Atchafalaya Basin. We will use the Center to further engage the community to change the restoration culture in the Atchafalaya Basin from one of resistance to one of active cooperation for restoration. This is critical for expanding restoration to over 100,000 acres.