Mississippi River Floodplain Restoration

We aim to achieve more sustainable land and water management in the active floodplain of the Lower Mississippi River, thus providing significant ecological, economic, and societal benefits.

Through this project, we offer Wetland Reserve Easements through the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). These easements pay for 100% of reforestation costs. Mississippi is one of the six states targeted in the project. Landowners in Mississippi can receive a one-time payment of more than $3,000 per acre.

Project Goals

The goals of the project are

• to improve water quality in the river and Gulf of Mexico, especially for shrimp, crops, oysters, and finfish
• expand habitat for waterfowl, white-tailed deer, birds, bears, and other wildlife
• reduce the erosion of vulnerable lands during floods and protect federal flood-control and navigation infrastructure
• reduce taxpayer-funded disaster payments and other payments
• and provide more outdoor recreational opportunities.

Project Success

To date, we have worked with landowners to enroll nearly 5,000 acres of Mississippi River floodplain in the state. We have enrolled more than 25,000 in the six-state project area, and another 10,000 acres are pending enrollment.

Project Area

The project area is the active floodplain of the Mississippi River from its confluence with the Ohio River downstream to the Port of Baton Rouge. This 699-mile reach comprises 2 million acres of land and water between the federal mainline levees or river bluffs. This area is commonly called the “batture.”

What We Do

Wildlife Mississippi and its partners promote easement availability, receive easement applications, and oversee replanting efforts. Wildlife Mississippi also helps support the restoration of side channel habitat along the lower river. The Lower Mississippi River Conservation Committee, a coalition of state and federal agencies, leads that effort, and it has restored 115 miles of side channel aquatic habitat, including 23 miles in Mississippi.