Calcasieu Salinity Control Fisheries Focus Group
 

*** FYI****

Good afternoon! The CPRA Project Delivery Team for the Calcasieu River Salinity Control project (CS-65) has reached a milestone in their extensive planning efforts-- and we think it is critical to share our outcomes with you. At the last meeting of the Southwest Fisheries Focus Group we committed to meet again throughout the planning and design process. This will be the second meeting of the group and will be a chance to discuss the specific features being proposed.

The update will be Monday, April 13 at 5 pm at the Cameron Parish Police Jury office in Cameron (thank you, CPPJ, for hosting!) The team will have handouts and a PowerPoint presentation on the alternatives screened, as well as information on the tentatively selected plan and next steps.

The SWLA Fisheries Focus Group was formed in late 2014 to focus on issues particular to the Calcasieu Lake area during the development of the CSC Salinity Controls Project. The goal of the SWLA Fisheries Focus Group is not necessarily to achieve consensus on any one approach, but to discuss options, understand potential impacts to your industry and provide a venue for dialogue during project development.

We appreciate your help in spreading the word about this meeting and we look forward to meeting with you!

Austin Feldbaum
Coastal Resources Scientist
Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority
Planning and Research Division
Austin.Feldbaum@la.gov
225-342-4594



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Sounds interesting.... Like they actually want to hear people's input.

I hope this is a step forward for Big Lake.

Plans are In place to install a type of barrier a long the ship channel around wash out to 9 mile area that will reduce the salt intake to the lake

Which will allow weirs to remain open more and stop lake erroisin !!

I think that is a great idea. I remember years ago when each cut was a 100 yards wide.

This!!!!

wow. sound like this scientist went to Yale. correct me if I am wrong but hasn't big lake always been salty?

Incorrect. The south end would have had some salinity, but historically, Cypress trees grew in Turner's Bay and areas further north. I believe there are historical accounts indicating that the lake was marginal oyster habitat, and no reefs existed in the northern portion of the lake.

Prior to the dredging of the ship channel, there was a sand bar at the mouth of the Calcasieu River that functioned as a saltwater barrier. That, of course, was destroyed when they dredged the channel.

Sounds like an interesting meeting. Wonder what they've come up with. It could definitely go a long way to maintaining the estuary. And, like W said, could lead to the weirs being a secondary salinity control, allowing them to stay open more often. Win-Win here if done right.

Your wrong ^^^^

So I corrected you

Anyone having interest in the lake should attend. These plans will need the support of the people. There will be opposition against it. I went to first meeting, to much info to type right now. But there's a lot to these plans and they need input and suggestions. Everyone that can attend should if possible.


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April is a pretty full month, so I may not be able to make this meeting. But I will point out a few things for others who may attend.

The weirs are necessary and prudent to protect the marsh behind them from saltwater intrusion. The saltier the water is in the main lake, the faster salinity rises in the marsh and the more time the weirs need to spend in a closed position.

If the main lake had lower salinity, the weirs can spend more time open without threatening the marsh. This would allow greater flow of bait and sport fish back and forth between the marsh and lake.

After considering various approaches to reducing salinity in the main lake, the approach that makes the most sense is increasing the isolation between the main lake and ship channel. The ship channel is the salt water highway between the Gulf and main lake. Decreasing the area of connection between the ship channel and main lake will reduce the average salinity in the lake.

This will not only have the benefit of allowing the weirs to be open more days per year, it will also reduce salinity closer to the optimal range for the oyster beds in the southern lake to come back. Since hurricane Rita, the salinity in the lower lake has really been too high for oysters to thrive. High salinity makes oysters more susceptible to parasites (oyster drills) and fungal infections.

Thank you all for your efforts to make BL a healthier habitat!

-Are there any concerns that the new barriers will now funnel more saltwater to the northern marshes, rather than have the saltwater disperse more throughout the lake?

Very good question. Have to wonder if that has been discussed or not.

25 or Bust

Not really. Keep in mind that the change in height rather than the volume of water is what is fixed on each tidal cycle. When the salt water is flowing in, it stops flowing when the height in the upper estuary reaches the same height as the lower estuary. Each tidal cycle does not bring a fixed volume of water.

Feel sorry for the guides and their trout bite!! If this passes. Good luck.

??? Explain ?

This will make our trout stock blossom

Were not talking about making lake fresh were talking about knocking it down from 20ppt to 16ppt

It will only keep it 5ppt lower max 7

You will still have old river intake

This will also turn Tuners bay back to a trout winter home instead of lake Charles

So bass will be back in prien? :)

Huh? Give explanation please

That's just silly. Sure, there may be low enough salinity at the saltwater barrier that there won't be as many trout up there in coming years, but the salinity levels in the main Calcasieu Lake, including Turner's Bay, will remain high enough to support excellent production of specks.

Truthfull i think i may actually bring in more salinity to prien/lake charles area. Since less will be gettin dispursed into the lake.