Quote:
Originally Posted by MathGeek
There certainly is a good chance it could work out this way. I'm optimistic that fairly good fisheries can be preserved over the next 100 years as the marshes turn into open lakes and bays by:
1. Minimizing future loss of marshes and preserving marsh that used to be more brackish or even freshwater swamp.
2. Restoring, establishing, and preserving oyster reefs in the bays to provide valuable ecosystem services.
3. Managing salinity in the lakes and bays by controlling salinity flowing in from the Gulf and freshwater flows from rivers and freshwater swamps.
The big picture is to be more intentional about what levels of salinity are maintained in which regions. The "saltwater" line may end up further north than it is now and there may be some trade-offs between crawfish/bass/crappie habitat and crab/redfish/speck habitat.
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We can't afford anymore conversion to open water. Why do you think the Cameron-Creole and the weirs are such a point of contention? They didn't put those there for ducks or for fish. They put those there for the Marsh. If we lose too much more Marsh in Cameron parish, it will compromise all the infrastructure to the North. All that Marsh is important flood control. Without it, a major hurricane like Rita or Katrina would be devastating.
I hope they don't move the saltwater line further north. We've already lost many acres of valuable fresh water habitat.