White Lake Wetlands Conservation Area in southern Louisiana protects 71,905 acres along the north shore of White Lake, including vast freshwater marsh and leased croplands, woods, wetlands, and campsites. Managed by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, it contains canals, waterways, a nature and birding trail, and habitat for abundant marsh plants, deer, alligators, waterfowl, and hundreds of bird species. Its modern history ties wetlands to the oil industry through several private owners before BP donated the tract to the state in 2002. White Lake also played a notable role in whooping crane conservation, from a 1950 capture to reintroduction efforts launched in Louisiana in 2011.