Natural Resources in the Spillway
The diversity and abundance of productive habitats in the floodway support a wide variety of wildlife including game species, commercially important furbearers and alligators, endangered species, and numerous nongame species that are important to the ecology.

Game mammals include the gray squirrel, fox squirrel, swamp rabbit and feral hog. Common furbearers include otter, mink, nutria, muskrat, raccoon, opossum and beaver. Common nongame mammals include nine-banded armadillo, southern flying squirrel and marsh rice rat.

Alligators can be observed in the floodway's many ponds.

The forested wetlands and shallow margins of permanent water bodies provide excellent feeding and resting areas for American coot and dabbling ducks, such as the wood duck, mallard and the mottled duck. Diving ducks, such as the lesser scaup, are most common in Lake Pontchartrain and adjacent open water areas of the floodway. Other game birds occasionally found in the floodway include the American woodcock and common snipe.

A great diversity of nongame birds seen in the spillway includes sea birds, shorebirds, wading birds, songbirds and raptors. Numerous species of reptiles and amphibians are also found in the area.

Wood ducks are numerous in the flooded forests north of Highway 61.

The various water bodies in the floodway support a wide range of finfish and shellfish. Sport fishing and crawfishing are popular in the fresh water and brackish water habitats.

Contact
Kathy Gibbs, CEMVN-PA
Chief, Public Affairs Office
New Orleans, LA
504-862-2201
Kathy.Gibbs@usace.army.mil

Updated May 18, 2005