Project Summary:

Stretching more than 200 miles along the Gulf Coast from Galveston, Texas, to Vermilion Bay, Louisiana, and extending inland as far as 70 miles, the Chenier Plain encompasses more than 6.5 million acres of former coastal tallgrass prairie and marsh. The prairies of the Chenier Plain today produce rice and crawfish, and they are also the heart of the Gulf Coast energy industry.

The Chenier Plain serves as the first line of defense for coastal communities against storm surges, as a nursery for recreationally and commercially important fisheries, and as crucial habitat for millions of migrating birds, among a suite of wildlife species. In Texas, the heart of the Chenier Plain is the Salt Bayou Watershed, a coastal wetland complex stretching 30 miles from Sabine Pass to High Island. The area is one of the largest contiguous wetland areas in the entire state. However, over the last two decades, human-induced and natural changes have degraded and altered the Chenier Plain. 

To address the area’s decline, local, state, and federal leaders collaborated with Ducks Unlimited (DU) scientists to develop the Salt Bayou Watershed Restoration Plan. This long-term plan outlined a path for more unified action to protect and restore this crucial area for people and wildlife. Restoration of this vast area is a multifaceted effort, and DU is one of many partners that led the charge to restore this extensive coastal marsh and the broader Chenier Plain. 

Project Mission: 

Ducks Unlimited and partners of the Texas Chenier Plain Restoration Effort, aim to highlight the ecological and economic importance of the Salt Bayou Marsh by championing and securing funding for wetland restoration and enhancement projects.

Project Impact:

Ducks Unlimited has impacted approximately 90,000 acres within the Salt Bayou Watershed through various conservation projects. Benefits to the ecosystem include:

• ~380,000 people live and rely on a healthy Chenier Plain ecosystem.
• 360+ bird and fishery species depend on these coastal habitats.
• Improved ~90,000 acres within the Salt Bayou Watershed through multiple individual conservation projects.
• In 2020, annual wages supported by the coastal economy exceeded $25.6 billion over nearly 20,000 businesses (Texas General Land Office)

Project Needs:

Ducks Unlimited was selected as a Texan by Nature Conservation Wrangler based on the Texas Chenier Plain Restoration’s positive impact to people, prosperity, and natural resources. Through the program, Texan by Nature is working with Ducks Unlimited to address the following needs:

• Media visibility to bring awareness to Texas Chenier Plain Restoration and its importance to local communities and industry, coastal resiliency, and critical habitat.
• Diverse partnerships with industry, landowners, and conservation organizations to get more individuals involved in and passionate about Texas Chenier Plain Restoration.
• Impact reporting to incentivize the value of ecosystem restoration to people, natural resources, and the economy.

Texan by Nature’s Vision and Support:

Texan by Nature (TxN) is working with Ducks Unlimited (DU) to uplift Texas Chenier Plain Restoration to increase understanding of the critical role of the Chenier Plain to wildlife, natural resources, energy, and coastal resiliency. During the Conservation Wrangler partnership, TxN and DU will utilize Texas Chenier Plain Restoration as a model to replicate and amplify ecosystem-scale restoration across the state and beyond.

Contact Texan by Nature at programs@texanbynature.org if you can provide resources, or connections, or are interested in partnering and would like to learn more.