Thread: Lake Bistineau

I heard the numbers were greatly reduced when the water was so low last time...many people taking hundreds of fish at a time. I know crappie reproduce fast but that had to've hurt pretty bad. I was raised on bistineau and just moved back home after 20 yrs in the Air Force. Its proving to be a tough lake to learn. Especially with the salvinia challenges and drawdowns.

Do the draw downs actually help control the salvinia?

the back waters that hold the water during the drawdown still holds the salvania,and so when the gates are closed the water rises and the salvania is here again,,,the cold weather did help this year because the gates at the spillway were not opened.so we enjoyed trying to find the few fish on the lake.in my opinion---which isnt much---if the weather gets cold enough during the winter it helps control the salvania...but to drain the lake past the 7 ft mark would help bunches/cutting holes in the levee close to the spillway would be the less expensive way i think.thinning out milions of cypress trees would be very benefical.the cypress trees harbor the salvania and let it grow all year.just waiting for the hot summer weather to to double in size every 3 days....the only answer i think is to drain it down to just a stream and then dig out the pools that hold the salvania.and keep it lowered to nothing for at least 3 years...again...just my opinion

iam sure the financing for bistineau was dropped ,with no financing how can anyone control what happens to bistineau,,, contac your congressman,senators and voice your opinion....if you want to help bistineau thanks

People are starting to push towards salvinia control, this is a glimmer of hope here


Morley Hudson Weevil Greenhouse
Grand Opening - August 20th from 10am-noon
Shady Glade Resort, 429 Cypress Drive in Uncertain, Texas

The Caddo Lake Institute (CLI), the Greater Caddo Lake Association (GCLA) and the Morley Hudson family invite you to join us and many others who have made it possible to celebrate the opening of the first high production salvinia weevil rearing facility in Texas, if not the world. Please RSVP to Stella Barrow by August 11th at [email protected] or 903-736-3063.

Our partners and funders in this effort to manage giant salvinia include Texas A&M, Harrison County, Cypress Valley Navigation District, City of Marshall, City of Uncertain, The Dallas Caddo Club, local entities and hundreds of volunteers. This effort will be celebrated with the grand opening of the Morley Hudson Caddo Lake Salvinia Weevil Greenhouse. For more information on the effort, visit the Greater Caddo Lake Association's website. The Caddo Lake Institute will continue to raise funds for the annual operating costs of the weevil rearing facility. Funds for a second facility on the northside of Caddo Lake are also needed. You can make a donation at www.caddolake.us/donate/html or GCLA's website.

Biological control with salvinia weevils is needed; they are the best option to manage salvinia in a lake such as Caddo. The areas of flooded cypress forests cannot be reached by boat or foot and can become giant salvinia nurseries. Some herbicide applications will still be needed, but the salvinia weevils have shown that they can do much of the management for us. A regional approach is also needed, since giant salvinia can move between lakes on boats and trailers. CLI is therefore also coordinating a regional effort. See our InvasivesWatch website, for that work and for the mapping feature for tracking chemical and biological treatments on Caddo and other lakes in the region.

if we have a cold winter again the weevels cant survive it..ladwf tried that a few years ago.there were areas fenced off on diffrent areas of the lake...none survived tha cold winter...the weevels can do quite a bit in the summer.but bistineau is normally drawn down ,normally in august....so what now...iam just curious..caddo lake may have funding for anything,but bistineau hasn`t had decent funding for several years.uncertain is in texas isnt it....that should say it all

i know morley hudson greenhouse on weavels would gladly share what they could afford to give to bistineau,,,that iam sure of..i didnt mean any disrespect to that wonderful agency.ive lived on bistineau most of my life and i will soon be 65...ive loved bistineau all my life and it kills me to see the condition its in now,,,,i apologise if ive insulted anyone with my loud fingers and thoughts...if anyone has any answers for this lake killer called----salvania-----please voice your thoughts....just a guy that loves bistineau

Don,
I understand your feelings. We have a situation down here in South La. that although it's different than yours, it's a ecological disaster also. Where you are losing a lake and all the benefits and pleasures that it brings about by it's existence, we are losing our coastline. Places where the oaks and cypress once grew are now barren expanses of open water. Where the bass, sac-au-lait, and bream once were plentiful, there are now redfish, drum, and sea trout. I'm 70 years old and have seen it happen in my lifetime. Property I've owned since the late 70's that had never had water on it for a hurricane, now has water on it every time the winds blow from the southeast. And bring on a storm, that has twice in recent years brought water up to 27 inches into the house which is 3 foot above ground level.

My friend I feel for your loss. When I think about such things it reminds me of the TV commercial of a few years back where you see a picture of litter all around and the Indian stands there with a tear running down his cheek. I like you have had my tearful days. So much has changed, so much has been lost and I don't see too much changing it. I guess we just have to bite the bullet, so to speak, and go on best we can. It will never be the same again. As bad as it makes me feel, I feel worse for the youth of today who by the time they're our age will have never known what it's like to fish in quite calm pure waters, or to bring home food for diner provided by nature, or to watch a sunrise or sunset over beautiful waters. The more technically forward we move and the more prosperous we become the more harm we do to our world.

Do you remember digging worms to go fishing, or to bait a trap to catch minnows and crawdads. How simple life was and how great it was. My grand kids will never know that and that's sad. Some say the good old days are now, I don't believe it. We all have things in abundance and ease, but do we have the peace of mind of those years.

Not all is doom and gloom though, for us who knew what use to be, it's a struggle to accept, but to those who never knew, they accept it as the norm. My sons and daughter all fish and think all is well, but that's because that's all they know. As time goes by they will have their stories to pass down as they also see the changing world around them. And when they look back, they will call these days the good old days. Life does go on, that is until one day when we may destroy life it self.

I use to be an email pal with Roger Stouff. He is a descendant of the Chitimacha tribe who lived in the great swamps of the southern Atchafalaya Basin. He has written several books which are great reading although sad in many ways as he not only documents the history of his people but the changing Basin. His first book Native Water and the follow up The Great Sadness won't solve any of our problems but it does enlighten us to the fact that we are not alone in our misery of our ever changing world. The books brings us to the closeness of nature around us and all that most take for granted. To some, a tree is just a tree and a body of water is just water, but Roger gives them life. In reading the books you touch souls with him.

(Quote)
In the book Native Waters, Roger Emile Stouff celebrated the world of the Chitimacha, created by Crawfish at the command of the Creator of All Things. But behind the glory and solace of those ancient swamps and the voices of ancestral ghosts there was a growing dread.
The Great Sadness takes up after the close of Native Waters, and the world is changing, the face of that expanse of home waters is fading and growing thin. The thin places, he calls them: the margin between this world and the next.
After eight thousand years of intimacy, the native waters of his people are going the way of memory.
And he is not sure if he can continue to be Chitimacha, ‘people of the many waters,’ without them.

All available in Kindle and paperback from Amazon, and on Nook at Barnes & Noble!

Shadowfire Books Blog
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Of course the disclaimer. I'm only a fan of Roger and receive nothing for posting about his books.

Check out his web site for some interesting stories and some daily writing from his column.
www.native-waters.com/

Roger is an accomplished fisherman and a great story teller.

Blessings on all of us,
"gene"