Quote:
Originally Posted by noodle creek
I understand, just confused on whether or not managing a marsh so that it doesn't erode and managing the same marsh for awesome duck habitat can coinside. Seems like there would need to be a little bit of salt water in the marsh. Is there a way to get saltwater to eastern side of the marsh, where everything is growing in, without having too much saltwater in the front of the marsh?
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It depends on where exactly you mean. There's a lot of land back there. If you open the weirs more, you introduce the most salt closer to the weirs, and the salt decreases the further away from the weirs you get, so by the time you've got "just the right amount" of salt for your favorite marsh veg mix 3 miles away, you have too much salt at most points closer to the weirs.
Also consider the make-up of that marsh. Everyone wants their hunting spot to have perfect conditions. The eastern edge along 27, S of the ICWW had great duck conditions last fall and winter. We saw beaucoup ducks every time we drove 27 in the fall and winter. Sorry you missed them. Of course, we were fishing, heading back and forth to the jetties and beaches chasing bull reds. Getting permission to hunt closer to 27 might be easier than raising salinity in the spot you currently have access to.
If you want to raise the salinities closer to the ICWW, there are times when it has a bit of salt, though the salinity decreases quickly as you move toward Mermentau and away from the Calcasieu locks. In the area that moves SE, you can have salinities up to 20 ppt at times. Transfering that water into the marsh at the right times would increase salinities in the adjacent areas. (This is a scientific fact, it may not be a political possibility. The USACE and NWR peeps might have issues.) Once you get to the E-W stretch, salinity is much lower most of the time.
But I think the gradients in salinity and vegetation between the lake and 27 are OK. There is probably too much open water as a percentage of the overall land area. (See the attached photo). I don't think the science is on your side thinking you need more open water.