The Nature Conservancy's West Shell Lake: Habitat Enhancement, Restoration & Education

Nearly 250 species of birds use the preserve each year. For many of these birds, the preserve is crucial wintering habitat. In fact, The Nature Conservancy's Mad Island Marsh Preserve lies at the terminus of the Central Flyway, one of four principal North American migratory routes. Migrating and resident songbirds, shorebirds, colonial nesting birds, and wading birds all use the area for feeding, resting and roosting. The area is especially important to waterfowl including 16 species of ducks and 4 species of geese. Sandhill cranes, and various wading birds also inhabit the Mad Island Marsh Preserve at some point during the year. The annual Mad Island Christmas Bird Count has ranked in the top five national counts since its inception in 1993. The marsh area provides habitat for many different marine organisms. Red drum, blue crabs, brown shrimp, southern flounder, and speckled trout are common species in the marsh. Moreover, Mad Island Lake and its surrounding wetlands provide a critical nursery for a variety of marine life from adjacent Matagorda Bay.

The project area (622 acres) has been degraded due to invasion of Phragmites australis, resulting from past wetland drainage and disturbance. Biochemical control of this invasive plant is required to reduce its biological impact on the project site. Application of herbicides on West Shell Lake is required to remove the dense homogeneous stands of tall reeds from approximately 32 acres of freshwater wetlands. Post project mowing and burning during dry summer seasons, will greatly enhance the wetland’s function as a freshwater system. Cattle exclusion will greatly the productivity of this coastal habitat which includes, freshwater wetlands, salt marsh, ingleside brush corridor, Mad Island Bayou, and GIWW shoreline. Also benefiting from grazing exclusion will be two globally-significant plant species that have been documented to occur on similar soils and habitats within the Mad Island Marsh Preserve- Liatris bracteata and Thurovia triflora. Maintenance of the westerly levee/road is also required to ensure that freshwater will remain impounded, as well as provide vehicle and school bus access. The levee/road also acts as protection of freshwater wetlands from storm surge. Additional soil placement and increased levee crown width with subsequent planting of native grass on levee slopes will be completed.