Water clarity and water quality are not one in the same. When a scientist is referring to water quality, he's talking about the level of contamination in the water. Bayou D'inde is clear as hell, but the worst waterbody in the state as far as contamination.
In terms of water quality, the Mermentau is much worse than the Calcasieu. Back in the mid to late 2000s, there were several reports illustrating the water quality issues of the Mermentau, with every one stating that several if not all segments were not suited to supporting wildlife and fisheries populations.
So, I would lean more towards the idea that someone pulled the right strings, unless some major water quality work has been done on the Mermentau in the last 7 years.
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