Delta and Breton National Wildlife Refuges

The Delta National Wildlife Refuge, accessible only by boat, is located in the Mississippi River Delta on the southeastern coast of Louisiana.

The refuge covers 48,800 acres of marsh, shallow ponds, channels and bayous. The refuge was established in 1935 to provide a winter haven for migratory waterfowl.

The land around the refuge formed during the last 300 years and is composed of low, frequently flooded islands. Artificial crevasses, or breaks in the levees, are used as a way to distribute river sediments more widely and to create new marsh lands on the refuge.

The nearby Breton Island National Wildlife Refuge, established in 1904, is the second oldest refuge in the National Wildlife Refuge System.

The refuge preserves barrier islands that are remnants of an old delta of the Mississippi River, located off the northeastern part of the current delta. The islands were significantly reduced in size by Hurricane Katrina, and important nesting habitat for seabirds and shorebirds, including brown pelicans, laughing gulls, and royal, caspian and sandwich terns was greatly impacted. Refuge managers are currently exploring options to use dredged material to rebuild the islands and restore habitat. Fishing in the waters surrounding Breton is still very good, and charter excursions are available from local marinas.

Twenty-three species of seabirds and shorebirds frequently use the refuge, and 13 species nest on the various islands. The most abundant nesters are brown pelicans, laughing gulls, and royal, caspian, and sandwich terns. Over 10,000 brown pelicans have been recorded nesting on the refuge.