Thoughts on CCA meeting tonight on state of Calcasieu fishery

[MathGeek]

Originally Posted by CajunGuy

From what Leighann showed at the meeting the entire Calcasieu-Sabine basin lost land during the bad years, but 50% of the land loss occurred in the Cameron Creole watershed. It is the most vulnerable place in the entire basin and that is why it has the extra measures to protect it.

Right. But the question has been raised in the past regarding why the Cameron Creole watershed is more vulnerable than the region between Big Lake and Sabine.

1. That soil in that region started lower to begin with (1900ish).
2. The level of fresh water flowing in from the other side to counter act the salt flow from Big Lake is lower.
3. The soil in Cameron Creole is subsiding (sinking) faster than other areas in the Calcasieu/Sabine basin.
4. These factors gave saltwater intrusion a big head start from the 1930s to the 1980s and land losses tend to accelerate once they have begun unless the salt is effectively stopped.

Leigh Anne Sharp's presentation contained a lot of important information, and I am disappointed that so many anglers are so focused on their personal short term objectives that they are not taking the time or making the effort to consider this quality information. Perhaps it conflicts with some pre-existing biases.

In any case, good management means making use of the best available data driven science for the balanced interests of all stakeholders. From all I can tell, the current weir management is very close to accomplishing this.