Blackwater Conservation Area
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.