Dykes and aboiteaus were used by the Acadian settlers to protect and improve the fertile marshland.

First, the Acadians would build a dyke to surround a desired marsh area, to protect it from tidal flooding. These dykes were all constructed by hand using simple hand tools, sleds, and sometimes oxen. Some dykes could be several kilometres in length. Normally they would be built about 3 metres above the high water mark. The average daily tide rise in this area is 1.5 to 2.5 metres, but can be much higher in the spring and fall. Places had to be found to excavate fill to build the dyke. In today's construction these areas are called "borrow pits". Aerial photos show many pitts along dyke construction, telling us the material was always near to the construction site.

Next, the farmers would install an aboiteau in the low areas along the dyke. An aboiteau is a simple wooden valve using a wooden flap to control water flow. It was installed to allow rain water or snow melt water to drain from the land which helped leach out the salt from marsh soil, making it very productive farm soil. The leaching process took three to four years.

When a breach of a dyke happens, through storms or floods, it was devastating for farmers to lose large sections of their crop land.