Lake Bistineau Drawdown Underway

The Shreveport Times reports that 26th JDC Judge Dewey Burchett issued a ruling allowing the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to drawdown Lake Bistineau. The judge found that the drawdown is the "only feasible plan for controlling aquatic growth of exotic plants." Accordingly, he refused to issue an injunction to delay the planned drawdown until the end of summer.

James Seales, LDWF District 1 fisheries biologist supervisor, has said this summer drawdown is needed to get sufficient drying action on the lake bottom. A proliferation of water hyacinth and hydrilla, both considered exotic or non-native plants, accompanied by leaf litter dropped by the massive cypress tree canopy, has contributed to a buildup of muck anywhere from 10 inches to 2 feet thick on the lakebed.

Posted by AJR at July 16, 2004 09:28 AM