Summary

Description

Recent environmental laws hold landowners responsible for contamination on their property; therefore, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Service has been conducting environmental contaminant surveys on National Wildlife Refuges, and on lands proposed for acquisition as refuges, for the past 6 years. Potential sources of contamination on the proposed Bayou Sauvage NWR include a landfill Recovery 1; unauthorized dump sites; raw domestic sewage leachate; various discharges from industry, marinas, residences, and a sewage treatment facility; and a variety of pollutants associated with vehicular traffic, railways, commercial shipping on the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, and recreational use. Four contaminant surveys were conducted on the proposed refuge between August 1987 and October 1988 to evaluate the potential impacts to fish and wildlife resources from the above sources, and to assist in the master plan development for potential consumptive recreational use on the refuge. Our objectives were: to document any existing contaminant concentrations in biota and sediment; to establish a baseline of information for future comparison after acquisition of the land; and to provide recommendations regarding purchase and management of the property.