Weirs Closed

[toodeep]

Originally Posted by Duck Butter

Just pointing out what manmade interference can do. Over there the marshes are starved for sediment and freshwater from the MS River being leveed and saltwater intrusion from all the straightline oil/gas canals (you can see thousands of them on Google Earth) amongst other things. When the MS River flooded in 1927 the US Army Corps of Engineers brought on the levees so that it wouldn't ever happen again. In their mind they were protecting thousands of peoples' lives (they did if you think about it), but they didn't realize the damage to the marshes they were doing. (They did what they intended but didn't realize the consequences)

On the Big Lake side of the world, the ship channel is similarto the straight line oil/gas canals in that it brings in saltwater, and there WAS actual mitigation for this (the saltwater barrier) and later the weirs. The saltwater barrier was installed over 50 years ago because they knew the ship channel would bring in salty water and that would make its way north into the farms and that would be detrimental to agriculture (nothing to do with CCA or wigeongrass). Saltwater getting into areas that can't tolerate excess salinity is bad, it kills and is difficult to get back, and marsh plantings are pretty expensive. Its best to take preventative measures and keep land intact rather than have to restore it back. Marshes are one of the most productive ecosystems in the world, and they also serve a very vital role in hurricane protection.

That is one of the things that people often overlook is the saltwater barrier installed a LONG time ago. The people back then knew saltwater is not good but we never seem to talk about the saltwater barrier for some reason? Why don't we try and get that removed so we can catch trout up in Allen Parish?

Correct at the same time when they installed the SALT WATER barrier they installed the weirs to do the same or big lake would look like the east side of the state right now.

[toodeep]

with the new bridge you can see the erosion month by month if you pass often enough from the bridge. I grew up in Grand Lake grad of 98 I hated the weirs just as much as W and now live in Raceland and fish grand isle often and cant beg for the weirs enough. but it is too late to fix this side of the state without lots of money.

[MathGeek]

Originally Posted by toodeep

with the new bridge you can see the erosion month by month if you pass often enough from the bridge. I grew up in Grand Lake grad of 98 I hated the weirs just as much as W and now live in Raceland and fish grand isle often and cant beg for the weirs enough. but it is too late to fix this side of the state without lots of money.

I love the Bayou Lafourche area, Port Fourchon, and Grand Isle. The drive across the bridge is shocking and sad to see all that marsh gone, just gone.

One day a hurricane is going to take it all, and the Gulf of Mexico will begin at Golden Meadow, maybe Houma. It's a sad sight and a sad thought.

[toodeep]

why cant it be compared do you have different water. same gulf water flow in the ship channel there and come in the pass over here.

[Goooh]

Originally Posted by toodeep

why cant it be compared do you have different water. same gulf water flow in the ship channel there and come in the pass over here.

Add to that the very high number of man made cuts through the marsh system on that side of the state.

[toodeep]

Originally Posted by Goooh

Add to that the very high number of man made cuts through the marsh system on that side of the state.

and there is also more cuts to the gulf. but the salinity is no different. people are complaining of erosion along the ship channel. open or remove the weirs and watch the erosion. you better go take pictures to show you kids cause it will not be there in 20 years

[noodle creek]

Originally Posted by toodeep

why cant it be compared do you have different water. same gulf water flow in the ship channel there and come in the pass over here.

I think big lake and sabine are comparable, others on here say they aren't, but now want to bring up the eastern side of the state.

[MathGeek]

They are comparable in some ways, not in others. Sabine probably is the single estuary that is more comparable with Calcasieu, but they are different in many ways also.

[toodeep]

Noodle I am not saying they are 100% comparable what I am saying I use to live there and think just like all of you and I now live on the east and see that they help out the west a lot more than you think they do.

[noodle creek]

Originally Posted by toodeep

Noodle I am not saying they are 100% comparable what I am saying I use to live there and think just like all of you and I now live on the east and see that they help out the west a lot more than you think they do.

Sorry, I wasn't referring to you, this goes way back.

[redchaserron]

If you want to see what we are losing, and what they are trying to protect with the weirs, open Google Earth and zoom into Cameron prairie refuge. At the top of the page on Google earth is a clock face, click it and it will bring up a slider. Use your mouse to slide the slider back and forth and you will see images over the course of time, you can see the marsh opening up, good productive nursery environment turning to open water. I fish back there a lot, it's my playground for years and I've been shocked at the changes I see year to year due to erosion. Sure I'd like to have access to get back there all the time, but not at the much greater cost of losing the marsh. I'm amazed at how short sighted "conservation minded" fishermen become when measures necessary to protect the resource over the long haul inconveniences them and their fishing for a bit.

Oh and a little info, the opening and closing of the weirs isn't controlled by "A Guy" it's controlled by the Coastal protection and restoration authority. Prior to hurricane Rita they controlled the weirs and they were often closed for large chunks of the summer. After hurricane Rita, they turned over control of the weirs to the SWLA refuge complex and they virtually never closed them. I saw the fishing change back there, numbers of redfish went up but size went down and I started seeing the marsh melt away. A few years ago (maybe 3 I'm not certain) operation of the weirs was turned back over to the CPRA and they returned to the management strategy used prior to 2005. It's not any different then it was then, I remember being disappointed when I couldn't get back there in the middle of summer back then just as now. They have their salinity benchmarks and that's what the opening and closure is generally based on. At times, even if salinity is above target levels they will open them if water is very high to relieve flooding. Also, in severe drought they will at times open them because in some conditions the marsh completely drying out is worse than salt intrusion.

[homerun]

Having a rock levee from old super cut to wash out would slow down tidal movement within the lake therefore less tidal flow action in marshes behind weirs which would mean less salt back there. Rock levee the channel seems to be a win win for all here. They did it most of ship channel anyways what is big deal to put another couple of miles. The channel increase tidal flow when installed. Why is it so difficult for those with power to understand this? Cut the snake off at head not the tail.

[marshrunner757]

Originally Posted by homerun

Having a rock levee from old super cut to wash out would slow down tidal movement within the lake therefore less tidal flow action in marshes behind weirs which would mean less salt back there. Rock levee the channel seems to be a win win for all here. They did it most of ship channel anyways what is big deal to put another couple of miles. The channel increase tidal flow when installed. Why is it so difficult for those with power to understand this? Cut the snake off at head not the tail.

THIS!!!!
I fully believe this to be true and pretty sure I've voiced this a couple times. Instead of CCA wasting all that rock on reefs, why not restore the fn levy!!!! Stupid azz people!!!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

[Natural Light Kid]

Originally Posted by redchaserron

If you want to see what we are losing, and what they are trying to protect with the weirs, open Google Earth and zoom into Cameron prairie refuge. At the top of the page on Google earth is a clock face, click it and it will bring up a slider. Use your mouse to slide the slider back and forth and you will see images over the course of time, you can see the marsh opening up, good productive nursery environment turning to open water. I fish back there a lot, it's my playground for years and I've been shocked at the changes I see year to year due to erosion. Sure I'd like to have access to get back there all the time, but not at the much greater cost of losing the marsh. I'm amazed at how short sighted "conservation minded" fishermen become when measures necessary to protect the resource over the long haul inconveniences them and their fishing for a bit.

Oh and a little info, the opening and closing of the weirs isn't controlled by "A Guy" it's controlled by the Coastal protection and restoration authority. Prior to hurricane Rita they controlled the weirs and they were often closed for large chunks of the summer. After hurricane Rita, they turned over control of the weirs to the SWLA refuge complex and they virtually never closed them. I saw the fishing change back there, numbers of redfish went up but size went down and I started seeing the marsh melt away. A few years ago (maybe 3 I'm not certain) operation of the weirs was turned back over to the CPRA and they returned to the management strategy used prior to 2005. It's not any different then it was then, I remember being disappointed when I couldn't get back there in the middle of summer back then just as now. They have their salinity benchmarks and that's what the opening and closure is generally based on. At times, even if salinity is above target levels they will open them if water is very high to relieve flooding. Also, in severe drought they will at times open them because in some conditions the marsh completely drying out is worse than salt intrusion.

Very well said!

["W"]

Weirs were never closed at all before Rita but a hand full of times and once the levees were repaired they stayed open 2 more years


And yea the guy who heads the open and closure of the weirs is a big to do with the duck hunting in that marsh (this comes from very close source )


Try again

[Smalls]

Whats tthe name waltrip?

Redchaserron - where did you hear that CPRA had operational control, because I can assure you, that is not who assumed control after USFWS relinquished it. The operation of the weirs was bid out to private companies, under the instruction of the management plan. Maybe CPRA issues those instructions, but I have never heard such.

[redchaserron]

Originally Posted by Smalls

Whats tthe name waltrip?

Redchaserron - where did you hear that CPRA had operational control, because I can assure you, that is not who assumed control after USFWS relinquished it. The operation of the weirs was bid out to private companies, under the instruction of the management plan. Maybe CPRA issues those instructions, but I have never heard such.

Well initially I got the information from the press release the USFWSA refuge complex sent out when control was turned back over to CPRA and later got the same information from the CPRA and in fact if you call the boat bay hotline they refer any questions to Chuck Perridon the public information guy with the CPRA. Does a CPRA employee actually go out and do the labor of closing the weirs? No, but it's done under the direction of the CPRA.

Here is the text of the press release from 2012 that was issued by the USFWS

Effective January 1, 2012 the U S Fish and Wildlife Service relinquished daily operation of the water control structures on the east side of Calcasieu Lake to the Louisiana State Office of Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority. Daily Operations and maintenance of the structures along the east side of Calcasieu Lake are now funded by the Coastal Wetlands Planning Protection and Restoration Act (CWPPRA) as part of the Cameron Creole Maintenance (CS-04a) project. Gate operations are now performed by a contractor directed by the Louisiana State Office of Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority."

And yes the weirs were often closed before Rita. I've been fishing that marsh for a very long time, not parking in the canal dunking shrimp by the weirs, but poling the flats and exploring the whole expanse of the place. And many times prior to Rita I felt the frustration of not being able to get back there onto the flats. After Rita they left the weirs open pretty much all the time until January of 2012.

I do think that shoring up the ship channel would help tremendously. For a while there was talk about installing a large lock somewhere near the mouth of the ship channel to really restrict tidal flow but with an always open smaller boat lane for smaller craft. That probably got nixed when they thought about the price tag.

[Bluechip]

Wil Drost.... W blames him for everything lol.

[PaulMyers]

Originally Posted by Bluechip

Wil Drost.... W blames him for everything lol.

LMAO!

["W"]

Before Rita they keep the gates open just about everyday but had boat bay closed the flow was open and almost never closed at Lambet and grand just because the boat bay was closed did not mean the gates were closed.

Can tell u how many times I seen the gates pouring water out while boat bay was closed off to boats