Salinity Control Structures

[MathGeek]

This is a tough call. In addition to the actual fishing in big lake, cutting off the estuary and marshes will also reduce the whole production of shrimp and crabs and oysters in Cameron parish, as well as the availability of nursery grounds for many important salt water species, so the whole productivity of the near shore Gulf of Mexico would be expected to decline.

This is not returning the system to a natural state where there were large brackish areas supporting production of oysters, crabs, shrimp and nursery areas for redfish, flounder, drum, specks, etc. It is making a much sharper dividing line of salinity far further south than one has ever existed.

I haven't seen anything definitive on this, but it also seems like an effective saltwater barrier at Calcasieu pass would likely restrict the volume of ships passing through, slowing the pace of ship traffic and increasing the costs. Building and operating the saltwater barrier that far south also seems tremendously expensive. Who is paying for its construction? Who is paying for its operation? What will be the economic impact of reducing the potential shipping traffic?

What will the economic impact be on the Lake Charles area from turning Big Lake from an inshore salt/brackish fishery into an exclusive freshwater fishery? How many jobs will be lost?