Everyone needs to look at this

[Speckmeister]

This will be extremely controversial, but Big Lake will be a freshwater lake in the distant future in a plan the state already adopted in 2012. On May 22, 2012, the Louisiana Legislature unanimously approved the 2012 Coastal Master Plan, officially adopting the Master Plan as the blueprint for all coastal protection and restoration efforts in Louisiana.

To see the controversial details,click on this link: http://www.coastalmasterplan.louisia...ject-Lists.pdf

I don't know how the state can afford it, and I'll probably be dead by the time this happens. But the lake for certain will change. God help us anglers.

[meaux fishing]

Big lake used to be fresh water back before the days of the ship channel

[boggycreek]

They have already started some of these projects in V-bay.

[Speckmeister]

"Big lake used to be fresh water back before the days of the ship channel"

Yahh, when I was a youngster I used to fish at Holly Beach and Constance Beach. The trout fishing eventually moved into the jetties once saltwater invaded, and we followed the fish there. Later on as the saltwater went into the areas beyond the ship channel . . . then we began fishing the lake. I went to a boarding school and college later in the 60s-70s, and when I returned Big Lake was a haven for trout.

Now we have fine trout and reds all the way upwards to Prien Lake and Lake Charles in the fall.

But then again, I don't want to go back to the Holly Beach "good old days". If this happens as the plan spells out - - - there will be much pain and anguish although the experts will say that's the only way we can restore our coast.

["W"]

And this will make big lake fresh how??? Do you know the boat traffic that comes in the shipchannel every day??

[Top Dawg]

Bass are better than trout to eat

[Speckmeister]

W....I really don't know how they are going to stop some intrusion. Please read the plan that is linked....one of the many parts on Calcasieu Lake says this:

"Calcasieu Ship Channel Salinity Control Measures: Construction of measures designed
to prevent saltwater from entering Calcasieu Lake through the Calcasieu Ship
Channel. Measures would control salinity spikes, provide storm surge benefits, and
would be constructed in a manner that would allow for the continued functioning,
and ideally improvement and increased viability of the Calcasieu Ship Channel and
the Port of Lake Charles."

["W"]

Originally Posted by Speckmeister

W....I really don't know how they are going to stop some intrusion. Please read the plan that is linked....one of the many parts on Calcasieu Lake says this:

"Calcasieu Ship Channel Salinity Control Measures: Construction of measures designed
to prevent saltwater from entering Calcasieu Lake through the Calcasieu Ship
Channel. Measures would control salinity spikes, provide storm surge benefits, and
would be constructed in a manner that would allow for the continued functioning,
and ideally improvement and increased viability of the Calcasieu Ship Channel and
the Port of Lake Charles."

[Lake Chuck Duck]

So basically they want to build a set of locks at the jeddies?

I see 10 pages...

[Speckmeister]

Originally Posted by "W"

Yahh, I agree it says that . . . but that still doesn't ensure there'll be much more freshwater in the lake. I am going to ask some questions about this and get back. The language in the plan in its entirety is confusing and contradictory.

[Will"E"Fish]

I laughed then when I first heard this and for got about it. Too many if's & but's not clarified.

[Speckmeister]

The Coastal folks have not returned my telephone calls but this just popped up : http://www.nola.com/outdoors/index.s...l#incart_river

These southeast Louisiana folks are pretty upset with what's happening and the Coastal Restoration folks have their hands full for now.

Again, I will post the info. I hope to receive about the percentage of saltwater loss we could expect due to controlling the salinity levels of Calcasieu Lake (See yesterday's post) as soon as I obtain it.

[Duck Butter]

Remember how the last year, 2 years, 5 years, 10 years, etc people keep saying that 'they' need to do something about the coast? 'They' are finally getting things done. The Coastal Master Plan has been out for a good while now and there have been several public meetings where everyone was invited to give their input. Its just like most things where people will argue til they are blue in the face on the internet and phone but as soon as their voice can be heard in a public environment, no one shows up We are about to have to face some real drastic decisions if we want to actually do something to restore Louisiana's coast. A lot of people are going to get upset and some will have to move and give up a lot of their heritage but in the long term its what is needed. Ask anyone who has been across the Leeville bridge in the last 5 years how much that area has changed.
It may be cool to be able to walk out onto your dock in Lake Charles and catch a speckled trout, but saltwater intrusion is a very very very bad thing.

[meaux fishing]

Originally Posted by Duck Butter

Remember how the last year, 2 years, 5 years, 10 years, etc people keep saying that 'they' need to do something about the coast? 'They' are finally getting things done. The Coastal Master Plan has been out for a good while now and there have been several public meetings where everyone was invited to give their input. Its just like most things where people will argue til they are blue in the face on the internet and phone but as soon as their voice can be heard in a public environment, no one shows up We are about to have to face some real drastic decisions if we want to actually do something to restore Louisiana's coast. A lot of people are going to get upset and some will have to move and give up a lot of their heritage but in the long term its what is needed. Ask anyone who has been across the Leeville bridge in the last 5 years how much that area has changed.
It may be cool to be able to walk out onto your dock in Lake Charles and catch a speckled trout, but saltwater intrusion is a very very very bad thing.

I agree... I want these marshes to be there for my kids and their kids to enjoy. It is sickening how much land has been lost around GI/Leeville in the last 25 years.

[Duck Butter]

Originally Posted by Speckmeister

The Coastal folks have not returned my telephone calls but this just popped up : http://www.nola.com/outdoors/index.s...l#incart_river

These southeast Louisiana folks are pretty upset with what's happening and the Coastal Restoration folks have their hands full for now.

Again, I will post the info. I hope to receive about the percentage of saltwater loss we could expect due to controlling the salinity levels of Calcasieu Lake (See yesterday's post) as soon as I obtain it.

Also, remember the ones being the loudest on there are two guides who now may have to drive their boat a little further to catch a speckled trout. Hopefully they will interview someone besides a guide in that area and get a second perspective. This quote out of there made me laugh.

"Ricks said he regularly checks the buoys installed in the area's lakes and bays, and salinity levels plummet whenever the diversion's gates are opened. Overnight in mid-January, he said, the salinity in Crooked Bayou near Four Horse Lake fell from 8 parts per thousand to 2 ppt after the diversion was opened to 5,000 cfs. In Cow Bayou, the salinity fell from 14 to 4 ppt, he said."


So you are telling me that when the freshwater diversion gates are opened, that the salinity goes down? Wow!




But seriously, the signs of dying ecosystems both cypress swamps and marsh can be seen all over the place.

[Smalls]

Laughable. If you would at least have the up to date Master Plan posted, maybe this could be a serious conversation. Or if you were in on any of the discussions, this would be a serious conversation. Southwest Louisiana was literally written out of the Coastal Master Plan. Only one or two priority areas in this part of the state. That is definitely an old plan you posted, because it still outlines marsh creation in several parts of Cal/Cam that are no longer a part of the plan. I know this is what is posted on the website, but I've seen the maps they are going by. This is not what the current plan is.

["W"]

Locks at Jetties will never happen In my lifetime , stop erosion plans are already in place on the channel with rock jetties to protect land. Also they dredge and pump behind the rocks to build land back up .

As far as saltwater in take, unless you have a hurricane which will blow over any kind of locks with a surge and most locks are forced to keep locks open during a storm to allow ship traffic the right away .

We have locks up river and that's plenty



But like always Government is broke so let's waist 400mill on some useless locks @ jetties

[PaulMyers]

Originally Posted by Smalls

Laughable. If you would at least have the up to date Master Plan posted, maybe this could be a serious conversation. Or if you were in on any of the discussions, this would be a serious conversation. Southwest Louisiana was literally written out of the Coastal Master Plan. Only one or two priority areas in this part of the state. That is definitely an old plan you posted, because it still outlines marsh creation in several parts of Cal/Cam that are no longer a part of the plan. I know this is what is posted on the website, but I've seen the maps they are going by. This is not what the current plan is.

Can you hook us up with a current version on the plan?

[Smalls]

I actually tried finding it early, Paul. No avail. I may be wrong on that, but I have sat in on discussions where the only things that were going to be done in the Southwest part of the state were in very small areas. As far as I know, the area west of Rockefeller is the only one that is getting any attention. I know of a couple of projects that were proposed, one in the vicinity of Cameron-Creole Watershed that were rejected by CPRA because it did not fit in with the plan. If you look at the maps of the master plan posted on their website, that area is in the Master Plan. Why was it denied then?

As for the original post, again, EDUCATE yourselves on the STATE OF THE COAST right now. RESTORE Act is going to fund a big part of this. That is money from the Deepwater Horizon disaster in 2010.

This is one of several proposed measures to protect and restore the coast. They also proposed a levee around Lake Charles. Like that makes sense. This plan changes all the time. As busy as the ship channel is, it would be hard to reduce salinity flow into the lake. But there are technologies available now that would allow this to work. Ever heard of a freshwater head? Saltwater is denser than freshwater. The conventional locks everyone is familar with would not necesarily be the answer here. I have heard of balloon-type devises that boats can pass over but saltwater flow is reduced because they still block saltwater traveling deeper in the channel.

[PaulMyers]

@ Smalls, I just knew in the past you have been very helpful with this type of information. Thus the reason I asked if you had something more current, not to call you out in any way, shape or form. I am very interested in this as I am old enough to remember Lake Charles Lake and Prien Lake the way they were 45 years ago. The family still owns part of what used to be a marsh off of Prien Lake. I find this all very interesting!

Paul