Blackwater Conservation Area
The Story of Rebirth
| | Turning a Dirt Pit into Healthy Habitat | |
In the 1970's much of the park you are about to enter was mined as part of a commercial sand and gravel operation. Through this process the area was logged and stripped of its nutritious topsoil. The land that had once been a viable hardwood forest with baldcypress sloughs became inhospitable habitat.
Due to poor quality soil, a healthy plant community did not return. The barren site became inundated with non-native invasive plant species such as Chinese Tallow and Privet. Native populations of wood ducks and woodcocks disappeared along with other wildlife to find more hospitable habitat.
In 1998, the City of Baton Rouge and Parish of East Baton Rouge, the US Army Corps of Engineers and BREC partnered to restore the 57.5 acres of affected land under the authority of Section 206 of the 1996 Water Resources Development Act.
The Restoration included:
Creation of two lakes
Addition of lime, fertilizer, and mulch to the soil
Removal of exotic plant species
Development of terracing wetland cells
Creation of walking trails and parking area
Planting of trees representative of the original
forest cover
BREC continues to maintain the property with exotic species removals and native species plantings. Native wildlife populations have begun to return to the property which is well on its way to becoming a healthy, bottomland hardwood forest habitat.
Topics.
this page online
Location. 30° 32.079′ N, 91° 5.24′ W. Marker is in Central, Louisiana, in East Baton Rouge Parish. It can be reached from Blackwater Road (State Road 410) north of Hooper Road (State Highway 408), on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 9385 Blackwater Road, Baton Rouge LA 70837, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Florida Parishes and in Greater Baton Rouge. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Deep South, and in the Great River Road Region. Globally, it is in North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, the Louisiana Purchase, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 7 miles of this marker, measured
Credits. This page was last revised on December 21, 2017. It was originally submitted on December 21, 2017, by Cajun Scrambler of Assumption, Louisiana. This page has been viewed 664 times since then and 24 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on December 21, 2017.
