Pontchartrain Conservancy

Pontchartrain Conservancy https://linktr.ee/pontchartrainconservancy

We envision an environmentally sustainable, prosperous and resilient Pontchartrain Basin in Louisiana for generations to come.

Rain or shine, our Water Quality team gets results! ☀️🌧️💧No matter the weather, Pontchartrain Conservancy scientists are...
06/23/2026

Rain or shine, our Water Quality team gets results! ☀️🌧️💧

No matter the weather, Pontchartrain Conservancy scientists are out in the field collecting weekly water samples across the Pontchartrain Basin to help monitor the health of our local waterways.

By tracking key indicators such as pH, temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, and bacteria levels, our team provides valuable data that helps inform the public and protect the waters we all rely on. 🔬🌊 These results are also shared with the public for free and even printed in the newspaper (NOLA.com) so more people can stay informed about the health of our lake.

Having an accurate picture of water quality keeps our communities informed—even when the skies are gray. Want to see the latest results? Visit our website or download the Lake & Coast app to access water quality data from across the Pontchartrain Basin. 📱

Last week, Kate Tannian, Lighthouse Programs and Interpretation Manager, and Emma Frederick, Community Engagement Assist...
06/22/2026

Last week, Kate Tannian, Lighthouse Programs and Interpretation Manager, and Emma Frederick, Community Engagement Assistant, visited the Girls in STEM Camp at the University of New Orleans UNO TRAC Center, hosted by Kenner Discovery Health Sciences Academy to share how science, engineering, and planning help protect Louisiana communities from storm surge. 🌊⚙️

Campers learned about Multiple Lines of Defense (MLODS), the natural and man-made features that work together to reduce storm impacts, from wetlands and barrier islands to levees and floodwalls.

After learning about these important defenses, participants put their own engineering and budgeting skills to the test by designing towns and building protective measures to withstand a marble-powered storm surge challenge. It was a fun, hands-on way to explore resilience, problem-solving, and the many career opportunities available in STEM.

Interested in bringing our programs to your school or learning more? Email [email protected] 📩

Exploring Blind River while planning for a more resilient future! 🚤🌿We recently wrapped up our C.O.R.E. St. James Parish...
06/22/2026

Exploring Blind River while planning for a more resilient future! 🚤🌿
We recently wrapped up our C.O.R.E. St. James Parish project with a boat tour of the Blind River, where our Education team shared a resilience plan for the river and the surrounding wetlands with community members.

Developed through more than a year of community feedback, the plan is designed to help protect St. James Parish and neighboring communities from future storm impacts while supporting the health of local wetlands and waterways. 🌊🌱

A special thank you to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation for funding this important project, the St. James Boat Club for hosting us, and St. James Parish
for their partnership and support throughout the project.

06/19/2026

Did you know? Lake Pontchartrain is much more than just the water you see from the shoreline. 💧

The Pontchartrain Basin encompasses approximately 10,000 square miles of interconnected lands and waters across 16 Louisiana parishes. About 25% of the Basin is highly urbanized, while the remaining 75% is rural, creating a diverse landscape of communities, forests, rivers, bayous, wetlands, and marshes.
The Basin is part of one of the largest estuaries in the United States and interacts directly with the Gulf through the Rigolets Strait, Chef Menteur Pass, Lake Catherine, and Lake Borgne. This connection creates a dynamic environment where tides, freshwater from rivers, and saltwater from the Gulf mix together to support a rich variety of habitats, including fresh, intermediate, and brackish marshes.

Five rivers and two bayous flow into Lake Pontchartrain, carrying water from across southeastern Louisiana. Because everything in the watershed is connected, what happens miles away from the lake can still affect its health. Rainfall and stormwater runoff can carry litter, nutrients, and other pollutants into local waterways that eventually make their way to Lake Pontchartrain.

That's why protecting water quality starts throughout the entire Pontchartrain Basin—not just along the shoreline. Every action we take upstream helps support a healthier lake, stronger wetlands, and cleaner waters for the communities and wildlife that depend on them. 🌎💙

C.I.T.E. participants from Orleans and St. Bernard Parishes spent the day on the water exploring coastal restoration and...
06/18/2026

C.I.T.E. participants from Orleans and St. Bernard Parishes spent the day on the water exploring coastal restoration and flood protection in action across our changing landscape. 🚤🌿

The field experience took us through Bayou Bienvenue and out to the Lake Borgne Surge Barrier, where participants saw firsthand how the Multiple Lines of Defense Strategy (MLODS) works—combining wetlands, marsh restoration, levees, floodwalls, and other protective features to help reduce storm surge risk and protect nearby communities.

Along the way, we spotted alligators, herons, and both emerging and established restoration plantings—real-world examples of coastal recovery and resilience in practice. 🐊🌱

We’re grateful to Meagan Williams, Chief Sustainability Officer for the City of New Orleans (Resilient NOLA), for joining us on board as an expert voice and helping guide thoughtful, engaging discussions throughout the trip.

Special thanks as well to Captain Pip with Beyond The French Quarter Tours for an excellent and memorable tour experience!

🦤 Wildlife Wednesday: Brown Pelican Edition!Did you know the Brown Pelican is Louisiana's official state bird?These incr...
06/17/2026

🦤 Wildlife Wednesday: Brown Pelican Edition!

Did you know the Brown Pelican is Louisiana's official state bird?
These incredible birds are famous for their dramatic plunge-dives, soaring above the water before folding their wings and diving headfirst to catch fish! Their expandable throat pouch helps them scoop up both fish and water, draining the water before enjoying their meal.

Brown pelicans are also a great reminder of how much Louisiana's coastal ecosystems can recover and thrive. While the species faced major challenges in the past, Lake Pontchartrain itself has seen a remarkable turnaround over the years. As water quality and habitat conditions improved, fish populations and the broader food web rebounded, creating the productive ecosystem that supports pelicans and countless other wildlife today.

Because brown pelicans depend on healthy estuaries, wetlands, and coastal waters for food, seeing them along Lake Pontchartrain is a sign of the rich and connected ecosystem that conservation efforts help protect. 💚

Today, protecting our wetlands and coastal habitats helps ensure these iconic birds—and the fish and wildlife they depend on—continue to thrive for generations to come.

Have you ever seen a brown pelican diving for fish along Lake Pontchartrain? Tell us where you've spotted one! 👇

💙 Check it out! Yesterday, Keep Louisiana Beautiful announced the Love Our Waterways initiative, a month-long statewide ...
06/16/2026

💙 Check it out! Yesterday, Keep Louisiana Beautiful announced the Love Our Waterways initiative, a month-long statewide waterway and shoreline cleanup taking place this September. 🌊

Announced by Billy Nungesser Lt. Governor of Louisiana, this effort will bring communities together to help clean Louisiana’s rivers, lakes, bayous, and shorelines. From removing litter to protecting wildlife habitat, every cleanup makes a difference in keeping our waterways healthy and beautiful.

06/15/2026

Check it out! This project protects many communities in the New Orleans, Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Maurepas areas, and its movement is a win for everyone on the coast 🌱💚 Comments are due this Wednesday, June 17th - click here to submit yours: https://parkplanning.nps.gov/document.cfm?parkID=534...

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our June Continuing Education Session! In recognition of the start of hurricane ...
06/15/2026

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our June Continuing Education Session!

In recognition of the start of hurricane season, this month’s session focused on hurricanes and the Multiple Lines of Defense (MLODs) that help protect our communities from storm surge.

🎤⛈️ We were honored to welcome WDSU News' Meteorologist Raven Richard WDSU as our guest speaker. Raven shared valuable insights on the 2026 hurricane season and also took time to answer participants’ questions. We extend our sincere thanks to Raven for helping make this session both informative and engaging.

After the presentation, our programming staff led participants through our Multiple Lines of Defense activity, providing them with a hands-on experience and a deeper understanding of coastal protection strategies.

Thank you to everyone who attended and supports environmental education in our region. We appreciate your commitment to understanding coastal Louisiana’s challenges and building a more resilient future. 💙🌎

📅✨ Are you interested in our Continuing Education program? Be sure to stay tuned for next month’s registration and topic! 👀📢

Address

8001 Lakeshore Drive
New Orleans, LA
70124

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+15048362215

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Pontchartrain Conservancy posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category