We are the last generation that will be able to experience the Atchafalaya wilderness as it is today and perhaps the last generation that can save it.

Carrying nearly a third of the flow of the Mississippi on a "short cut" to the Gulf of Mexico, The Atchafalaya basin has long been altered by levees to serve as a spillway for Mississippi river flood control and a more direct navigation route to the intracoastal canal. In addition, thousands of miles of canals have been cut through her delicate ecosystems to give the oil and gas industry access to her natural resources.  These levees and canals disrupted the natural flow of her bayous and exacerbated the problems of saltwater intrusion from higher sea levels and storm surges. 

​And yet, serving as a spillway gave parts of the Atchafalaya protection from development and designation as a National Wildlife Refuge area has kept much of it wild. In fact, the shallow Atchafalaya Bay is the only place along our Louisiana coast still naturally building new marshes!

The Atchafalaya basin stretches 140 miles north/south through four delicate ecosystems producing immeasurable natural bounty...most of it only accessible by boat.  It contains some of the most pristine coastal marshes and cypress forest still remaining in the world today.  Experiencing the Atchafalaya gives firsthand insight into the fate of the larger Mississippi River delta and the challenges we face trying to save our Gulf Coast.