Pass a Loutre Wildlife Management Area
Pass a Loutre Wildlife Management Area is a protected wetland in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, United States. The WMA is located due south and bordering the 48,000 acre Delta National Wildlife Refuge, accessible only by air or boat, contains the Pass A L'Outre Lighthouse, and Port Eads is within the boundary.
Location
The WMA is situated on the lower Mississippi River, starting at the Head of Passes, including an extreme northern portion of the Southwest Pass, all of the South Pass, and Pass a Loutre, in the Plaquemines-Balize delta lobe of the Mississippi River Delta Basin.Flora
The WMA is a combination of low marsh, tidal marsh, mudflats, and salt marsh, covering three of the five main types of wetlands. According to the A. W. Kuchler U.S. Potential natural vegetation Types, Pass A Loutre State Wildlife Management Area would have a Southern Cordgrass, aka Spartina vegetation type and a Coastal Prairie, aka Western Gulf coastal grasslands vegetation form.Fauna
The Pass a Loutre WMA, within the Mississippi River Delta, sometimes referred to as "The Birds Foot", has a diverse range of wildlife including whitetail deer and rabbit, fur bearing animals and alligators, and indigenous as well as migratory birds and waterfowl that includes game species.Fish
Fish are abundant. Freshwater species include bass, bream, catfish, crappie, warmouth, drum, and garfish. Inland saltwater fish, found in the saltwater marches include Red Drum, Spotted Seatrout and Southern Flounder.Invasive Pests
Since 2017, over 80% of the reed beds of Roseau Cane in the WMA have been damaged by the invasive "Roseau Cane Mealybug", Nipponaclerda biwakoensis, threatening wildlife habitat throughout the affected regions of the WMA.Mississippi Flyway
Pass a Loutre is the final destination of the Mississippi Flyway bird migration route for many species. About 40% of all migratory birds use this route including American goldfinch, American tree sparrow, Baltimore oriole, black-capped chickadee, blue grosbeak, blue jay, brown-headed cowbird, Bullock's oriole, chipping sparrow, common grackle, dark-eyed junco, downy woodpecker, evening grosbeak, field sparrow, hairy woodpecker, house finch, indigo bunting, northern cardinal, northern flicker, orchard oriole, pileated woodpecker, pine siskin, purple finch, red-bellied woodpecker, red-breasted nuthatch, red-winged blackbird, rose-breasted grosbeak, ruby-throated hummingbird, tufted titmouse, and the white-breasted nuthatch.The Audubon Society priority species are the American oystercatcher, black skimmer, brown pelican, clapper rail, least tern, little blue heron, mottled duck, piping plover, reddish egret, red knot, ruddy turnstone, sanderling, seaside sparrow, short-billed dowitcher, snowy plover, western sandpiper, and Wilson's plover.