Weirs Closed

[Cripley]

I understand now with the human alteration it can't just be left to nature in saying direct link to ship channel and continued dredging so will creating a narrower passage via longer jetty or rocks coupled with a more limited controlling weir than now be a beneficial means of just closing the weir have to say this conversation has given me a broader understanding of the Lakes issues

I also had a question when we talk about more fresh water coming into Sabine does the locks and saltwater barrier hurt more than help

[MathGeek]

Originally Posted by Cripley

I understand now with the human alteration it can't just be left to nature in saying direct link to ship channel and continued dredging so will creating a narrower passage via longer jetty or rocks coupled with a more limited controlling weir than now be a beneficial means of just closing the weir have to say this conversation has given me a broader understanding of the Lakes issues

I also had a question when we talk about more fresh water coming into Sabine does the locks and saltwater barrier hurt more than help

I don't think so, other than the human costs and inconvenience of maintaining the system and waiting to cross if you're in a boat.

["W"]

I know enough about fishing this lake to know the weirs are a major problem.

Fish are not holding because the bait is not here

It's freaken April almost May and I have not seen one group of birds picking shrimp( heard a few who saw a group or two lately)


Over oystering is also a problem and too deep a ship channel is also a problem

So right now we have a perfect storm!!

["W"]

CCA get off there azz and do some marsh restoration instead of sunshine pumping a useless half million dollar reef maybe we can save the marsh and allow weirs to stay open


Hell I bet we could start a save the Marsh foundation to raise money to restore marsh on a trade to leave them open

[Smalls]

Originally Posted by "W"

CCA get off there azz and do some marsh restoration instead of sunshine pumping a useless half million dollar reef maybe we can save the marsh and allow weirs to stay open


Hell I bet we could start a save the Marsh foundation to raise money to restore marsh on a trade to leave them open

You want to W? I'm in.

["W"]

Originally Posted by Smalls

You want to W? I'm in.

If there was a way to get a foundation going and set up a meeting with the weir guys


We could have a fundraiser start it up

[Smalls]

Originally Posted by "W"

If there was a way to get a foundation going and set up a meeting with the weir guys


We could have a fundraiser start it up

Find some contacts Mr. Big Shot. I got confidence in you. I'll gladly jump in on that. I'll even be your VP. I can see it now, Waltrip and Smalls, long time rivals, tag teamin to save the marsh and Big Lake.

[slickfish]

Originally Posted by "W"

CCA get off there azz and do some marsh restoration instead of sunshine pumping a useless half million dollar reef maybe we can save the marsh and allow weirs to stay open

You've only said that a million times. You sound like a broken record. How's running your bubble gums working for ya? It's amazing that gbay has as much marsh as it does an doesn't have an issue. We have enough birds every year to justify the effort even with the mass development going on over here in the lone star state.

[Goooh]

Originally Posted by slickfish

You've only said that a million times. You sound like a broken record. How's running your bubble gums working for ya? It's amazing that gbay has as much marsh as it does an doesn't have an issue. We have enough birds every year to justify the effort even with the mass development going on over here in the lone star state.

It does have an issue, do some research.

[Smalls]

Originally Posted by slickfish

You've only said that a million times. You sound like a broken record. How's running your bubble gums working for ya? It's amazing that gbay has as much marsh as it does an doesn't have an issue. We have enough birds every year to justify the effort even with the mass development going on over here in the lone star state.

Maybe you should do some research on your own waters. Funny, there isn't a single water in the state of Louisiana that has a "Marsh Mania" annually to plant marsh grass because it is eroding away. I Googled "Galveston Bay Marsh", and get a good bit of press and research on the loss of salt marsh. Sounds like GBay has some issues too.

Oh, and lets not forget that Oil Spill that just occurred there. Funny, USFWS seemed to think that was a pretty big issue.

[Goooh]

Originally Posted by Smalls

Maybe you should do some research on your own waters. Funny, there isn't a single water in the state of Louisiana that has a "Marsh Mania" annually to plant marsh grass because it is eroding away. I Googled "Galveston Bay Marsh", and get a good bit of press and research on the loss of salt marsh. Sounds like GBay has some issues too.

Oh, and lets not forget that Oil Spill that just occurred there. Funny, USFWS seemed to think that was a pretty big issue.

Maybe he meant Guantanamo Bay

[Goooh]

I quit reading when someone asked what Mother Nature did before the weirs...

[Cripley]

I know a lot of people who would join including myself first get a following then funding then the meetings with the boards will happen you have to get people and money for them to feel pressure

[MathGeek]

Originally Posted by Cripley

I know a lot of people who would join including myself first get a following then funding then the meetings with the boards will happen you have to get people and money for them to feel pressure

Making the lake itself less salty is a multi-million dollar project. The best you can do with the realistic financial potential of a regional conservation group is improve the science on when the weirs are opened and closed and perhaps exert a bit of policy pressure investigating options to lower salinity in the lake.

By installing salinity sensors on the lake side and the marsh side, you can open the gates any time conditions show that open gates would lead to a net flow of salt out of the marsh and close them when actual local conditions show open gates would add salt to the marsh.

Until this is handled, efforts at replanting vegetation are risky because improper weir management will let too much salt into the marsh and kill the veggies.

[Smalls]

Originally Posted by MathGeek

Making the lake itself less salty is a multi-million dollar project. The best you can do with the realistic financial potential of a regional conservation group is improve the science on when the weirs are opened and closed and perhaps exert a bit of policy pressure investigating options to lower salinity in the lake.

By installing salinity sensors on the lake side and the marsh side, you can open the gates any time conditions show that open gates would lead to a net flow of salt out of the marsh and close them when actual local conditions show open gates would add salt to the marsh.

Until this is handled, efforts at replanting vegetation are risky because improper weir management will let too much salt into the marsh and kill the veggies.

Not entirely correct. Lets not forget, I did revegetation projects behind the weirs. I planted grass all over Cal/Cam and south central Louisiana for that matter. Its all about the planning. In 3 years, we had 2 projects fail out of 30, and those were because of high water that was over the plants.

[MathGeek]

Originally Posted by Smalls

Not entirely correct. Lets not forget, I did revegetation projects behind the weirs. I planted grass all over Cal/Cam and south central Louisiana for that matter. Its all about the planning. In 3 years, we had 2 projects fail out of 30, and those were because of high water that was over the plants.

I stand corrected. Thanks for the clarification. How many of those 30 are still alive today?

[Duck Butter]

You may have a tough time convincing people that salinity needs to be lowered in the lake, especially folks that depend on saltwater species of fish to make their living. Its happening on the east side right now with the proposed freshwater diversions

[Smalls]

Originally Posted by MathGeek

I stand corrected. Thanks for the clarification. How many of those 30 are still alive today?

Well, haven't seen the ones from last year, but all the others are doing great.

[Smalls]

The Big Lake Coalition. I think that sounds appropriate.

[Cripley]

Hey CCA started somewhere and they got plenty money but I do not believe it's about directly funding but pressuring lobbying for funding