GALVESTON, Texas - Ducks Unlimited (DU) recently received $125,000 from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) managed Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund to coordinate a restoration project for part of the Galveston Bay system. The Greens Lake Marsh Restoration Project will seek to remedy harm to natural resources resulting from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, as mandated by the agreement governing the Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund.

"The Texas coast is critically important for wintering waterfowl, resident mottled ducks and millions of other migratory birds," said Todd Merendino, DU manager of conservation programs. "In the face of coastal marsh loss, urban and industrial development, decreases in rice agriculture, and ongoing drought, waterfowl are facing dramatic habitat deficits in Texas. We see support for projects that address habitat loss as a silver lining from the oil spill."

At 5,100 acres, Greens Lake Marsh is one of the largest marsh complexes in the Galveston Bay Estuary. The tidal marsh and open water complex lies along the north shoreline of West Galveston Bay. It consists of several ecologically important coastal habitats, including intertidal emergent marsh and oyster beds. In addition to waterfowl and other migratory birds, these habitats are critically important as nursery areas to many marine species. The NOAA - National Marine Fisheries Service has designated intertidal marsh as Essential Fish Habitat for several economically important species, including brown and white shrimp, gulf menhaden, blue crab and speckled sea trout.

Unfortunately, much of the coastal marsh habitats of Texas have degraded or disappeared during the past century from construction of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW) with subsequent erosion and salt water intrusion, as well as regional subsidence from groundwater extraction. These conditions have converted large expanses of highly productive vegetated marshes into shallow, empty open-water flats. Greens Lake has suffered the effects of these impacts, and conservation efforts led by DU will seek to reverse this trend and improve the Galveston Bay ecosystem.

"Resiliency of natural and human communities on the coast is of utmost importance to our ecological and economic sustainability. The Greens Lake Project will improve coastal marsh conditions and provide improved wildlife habitat, water quality, and flood and storm relief to West Galveston Bay and its adjacent communities," said Greg Green, DU regional biologist and Greens Lake Project leader.

The NFWF grant and matching partner contributions will fund survey and initial engineering design for improving the Greens Lake Marsh. Ultimately, restoration strategies will likely include shoreline protection along four miles of the GIWW, a low-water weir to reduce tidal exchange through the mouth of Greens Lake to historic conditions, and beneficial use of dredged material from GIWW maintenance activities to raise and restore interior marsh elevations. Implementation of the full restoration components may cost upwards of $10 million and take 3-5 years to plan and implement.

This project builds on prior conservation activities implemented by DU and compliments existing partnerships with the Texas General Land Office and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, which are also supporting portions of the Greens Lake Project.

Approval of this project is the first of several steps to improve the ecological productivity and sustainability of Greens Lake and the Galveston Bay Estuary. Restoration of the area will benefit waterfowl, other migratory birds, finfish, shellfish and many other wildlife species. These resources are vitally important to the local, regional and national economy as they support recreational and commercial outdoor activities.

Ducks Unlimited Inc. is the world's largest non-profit organization dedicated to conserving North America's continually disappearing waterfowl habitats. Established in 1937, Ducks Unlimited has conserved more than 13 million acres thanks to contributions from more than a million supporters across the continent. Guided by science and dedicated to program efficiency, DU works toward the vision of wetlands sufficient to fill the skies with waterfowl today, tomorrow and forever. For more information on our work, visit www.ducks.org. Connect with us on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/DucksUnlimited, follow our tweets at www.twitter.com/DucksUnlimited and watch DU videos at www.youtube.com/DucksUnlimitedInc.

Media Contact:
Andi Cooper
(601) 956-1936
acooper@ducks.org
@DUSouthernNews