Larto/Saline

South Delta Plantation is installing 5 mega pumps on Saline/Larto to use to water their rice fields. This is going to impact the water levels drastically and could make it dangerous to navigate as well as hurt the fishing. There is going to be a meeting Thursday July 18 at 7pm at the open bayou landing to voice our opinions.
for more information, you can contact
Eddie Kilpatric at 318 709 8009
John Norman at 318 466 1948
Craig Smith at 318 729 6524

If you have any questions, please let me know. Also, if you are unable to attend the meeting, feel free to PM me your concerns or ideas and I will make sure it gets heard at the meeting.
Thanks

How much volume will they be pumping into their fields, have any studies on this been released?

If they do this it will have a very negative impact on the complex. With the weir having recurring problems leaking and the Delta pumping water out it may just turn into a mud hole in places. Have there been any environmental studies done? Or is this another case of deep pockets getting what they want!

Havent been fishing Saline very long but some of the spots I go to are already almost too shallow. I hope this doesn't have a negative affect on the fishery.

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Originally Posted by Beeramid

How much volume will they be pumping into their fields, have any studies on this been released?

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Thats the million dollar question. From what I understand, there hasnt been any studies or restrictions discussed. It is times when pulling water may not hurt, but there are times when it could. Thats what this meeting is supposed to address I think. One of the names, Craig Smith, is the police jury member for that area, so hopefully he will have some answers.

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Originally Posted by jigman_09

If they do this it will have a very negative impact on the complex. With the weir having recurring problems leaking and the Delta pumping water out it may just turn into a mud hole in places. Have there been any environmental studies done? Or is this another case of deep pockets getting what they want!

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You know how it is, deep pockets usually win unless the people object enough. I am told that it is not Honey Brake lodge that is on the north end, but the south end toward Saline. New landowners, rumor has it hollywood type of investers. They dont care about what happens as long as they can make their money

I know for a fact that Honey Break does sell duck hunting trips. The only rice fields I know of in that area are on the north side of the Diversion Canal. I heard the new lots on Saline are owned by one of our state reps and who was also very helpful in getting the weir fixed. I will ask some close friends in that area what they know or have heard about this. The water is pretty low in Larto right now too.

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Originally Posted by Beaubayou

I know for a fact that Honey Break does sell duck hunting trips. The only rice fields I know of in that area are on the north side of the Diversion Canal. I heard the new lots on Saline are owned by one of our state reps and who was also very helpful in getting the weir fixed. I will ask some close friends in that area what they know or have heard about this. The water is pretty low in Larto right now too.

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There were about 75-100 people at the meeting tonight. There was a representative from Honey Brake lodge there that spoke. They have nothing to do with placing the pumps. This is happening on the south side, actually close to the state rep's lots. The weir is also starting to leak again and they are looking at repairing it again (same song, same dance). The things that we learned is that there were about 12000 acres bought. They are supposedly going to dig a ditch around the property to store water in and place pumps to pump our of saline also. They have permits for two more (total of three) with possibility of putting two more in at a later date (looking at a five year window for this to happen). It is still undetermined at what level they will not pump water. One legal option is to form a commission with representatives from the four parishes that the complex runs through. This will allow the commission to hopefully regulate and possibly set some of the guidelines for the complex. Sorry so long winded, but it was a lot of stuff discussed.

Thanks for the update. The guys I know up there didn't know a thing about that. HB might not have anything to with placing the pumps but I bet they are a backer and will make money from it, them and the state rep are tight.

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Originally Posted by Beaubayou

Thanks for the update. The guys I know up there didn't know a thing about that. HB might not have anything to with placing the pumps but I bet they are a backer and will make money from it, them and the state rep are tight.

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Bruce bud, HB has NOTHING to do with the south delta farms. The are not "backing" anyone. When someone puts on forums , what they think , instead of the truth on forums, its a loose loose for both. Im VERY close friends with HB, going there tommorrow with 30 kids, for a young guns event. Ive been to meetings and been helping at HB since the first tree was removed to build the lodge.
AGAIN, HB has nothing to do with these pumps. They have 44000 acres to hunt on north of the canal. WHY would HB want the saline/larto complex drained , when
a: built 20000 boat house and new ramp
b: building a kids camp that can house 80 kids in a camp week.
c: buying canoes, mini sail boats for kids camp.
d:offer guided fishing trips.
e: have NO pumps on saline/Larto but rather pump for own bayous and lakes.
f: we where ALL excited about hearing that the new owners where not going to flood the south delta farm! Meant more ducks for us, not so scattered out.Less water means more birds for us on HB and Catahoula. NOW that the new owners are wanting to add more newer pumps and flood more farmland crop, DANG IT. I dont want that. More acres flooded means ducks have more room to spread out and leave HB and Catahoula.

FYI. HB has nothing to do with this and they are not "tight" as you call it with the state rep. sigh.

Thanks for your view on this. Good post.

Well Gator Trax I apologize for my statement. If you are there on a weekend come on down the road lets shake hands. My wife and I have the red roof place 6 camp down from the HB. If you see a gray Ford stop by and say hello.

I will be at the PRO SHOP teaching kids how to trap and score. Come by, Ill be big fat guy in HB Red young guns tshirt. LOL

Bruce no need to apologize. You where not taking a shot at me, I didn't take it like that. I will be at the pro shop 8am till around 2pm. We have 20-30 kids coming in for the HB young guns program. Tomorrow we will be teaching them how to trap and score the sporting clay range. After that we will feed them and let them all shot the five stand. Come by and stop in, Ill be in red HB young guns t-shirt that we are giving all the kids. Look for the big fat kid!!!LOL

I wish I could but I am on the rig until the 30th. I will be at Larto around by the 1st or 2nd. I will be the other fat guy sweating buckshot...LOL

:popcorn

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Originally Posted by Beaubayou

I wish I could but I am on the rig until the 30th. I will be at Larto around by the 1st or 2nd. I will be the other fat guy sweating buckshot...LOL

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Bruce, you still working the rigs in South Texas? What's your schedule? May battle the boat traffic on Larto this Fall.

Randy Plains ( now Freeport McMoRan ) asked me if I want to work deep water on the Holstein so here I am. I miss South Texas but sure don't miss that 8 hour drive, much rather drive to Houma. My truck likes it too. You should come up this fall, we mainly fish out in front of the camp during the fall and winter. I am still on a 14 and 14 rotation, come in the 30th of this month.

I've done some reservoir studies for the Holstein. Huge operation there as compared to the Eagleford. I just might very well come up this Fall.

Yes very large operation and lots and lots of stairs. Come on.... if there is any water to fish???

While having heard all kinds of rumors including that they already have been pumping water out of Larto, I DO have some serious questions about this...
I'm quite familiar with the whole area and for anyone to pump out of Larto to the Delta, they would have to cross the Diversion canal first,then the Diversion Canal Levee, best I can tell by going over a couple of 4 foot square ariel maps of the area I have, it would be somewhere between 3000 and 400o feet form the edge of Larto Lake in a straight line across the canal and levee to the Delta property!!!!!!!!!!! that folks is over a half mile!!!!!!!!! and you would have to cross the canal AND the levee as the Levee Board will NOT allow anyone to bore thru the levee!!!!!!!
Now I'm also familiar with rice farming and pumps and to have pumps big enough and diesel engines big enough for the job, your talking serious $$$$$... A lot cheaper and easier solution to get water to flood the rice fields would be to put in water wells at the fields!!!!! I just don't see anyone pumping water over 1/2 mile,over a canal and over a levee from Larto Lake to the Delta....and if they tried it,it would have to be piped at least over the canal and levee,can you imagine how big a pipe line would be needed to carry enough water to do any good????

Now on to the low water condition.....well, it's july and the water is always low in july....you will lose one inch of water every 3 days just to evaporation!!!!!!!!! and the wier is leaking,AGAIN, don't know how much,but if it is at the same rate as evaporation, then in one month your looking at the water level going down about 20 inches or more,so in the last 30 days, the water would be down about 2 feet below pool stage and that is exactly what the gauges show.....nothing unusual for this time of the year,I've seen it a lot lower in the middle of the summer and the weir was not leaking........

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Originally Posted by ole evinrude

While having heard all kinds of rumors including that they already have been pumping water out of Larto, I DO have some serious questions about this...
I'm quite familiar with the whole area and for anyone to pump out of Larto to the Delta, they would have to cross the Diversion canal first,then the Diversion Canal Levee, best I can tell by going over a couple of 4 foot square ariel maps of the area I have, it would be somewhere between 3000 and 400o feet form the edge of Larto Lake in a straight line across the canal and levee to the Delta property!!!!!!!!!!! that folks is over a half mile!!!!!!!!! and you would have to cross the canal AND the levee as the Levee Board will NOT allow anyone to bore thru the levee!!!!!!!
Now I'm also familiar with rice farming and pumps and to have pumps big enough and diesel engines big enough for the job, your talking serious $$$$$... A lot cheaper and easier solution to get water to flood the rice fields would be to put in water wells at the fields!!!!! I just don't see anyone pumping water over 1/2 mile,over a canal and over a levee from Larto Lake to the Delta....and if they tried it,it would have to be piped at least over the canal and levee,can you imagine how big a pipe line would be needed to carry enough water to do any good????

Now on to the low water condition.....well, it's july and the water is always low in july....you will lose one inch of water every 3 days just to evaporation!!!!!!!!! and the wier is leaking,AGAIN, don't know how much,but if it is at the same rate as evaporation, then in one month your looking at the water level going down about 20 inches or more,so in the last 30 days, the water would be down about 2 feet below pool stage and that is exactly what the gauges show.....nothing unusual for this time of the year,I've seen it a lot lower in the middle of the summer and the weir was not leaking........

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They are not pumping into the delta. That is on the north side. They are pumping out of Saline to the southern fields. The reason they cant drill water wells is because of all the waste water that was produced by all the wells that were drilled years ago.

o-k, that makes sense........... the rumors are going on like an out of control forest fire!!!!!!!!! one guy that has a camp on Larto was saying they were pumping right out of Larto!!!!!!!

I am not sure I understand. I guess you are talking about injection wells that they were pumping the saltwater into instead of getting vac trucks to haul it off. I know some of those well have been there since the 50's and 60's and I guess they weren't worried about running enough casing to cover the usable fresh water. Makes me wonder about the quality of the drinking water in the area.
I have in the past seen on the south end of the Larto, like your headed to "Bean Field" and Vick Hwy there were pumping water right out of Larto to water the cotton across the road.

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Originally Posted by Beaubayou

I am not sure I understand. I guess you are talking about injection wells that they were pumping the saltwater into instead of getting vac trucks to haul it off. I know some of those well have been there since the 50's and 60's and I guess they weren't worried about running enough casing to cover the usable fresh water. Makes me wonder about the quality of the drinking water in the area.
I have in the past seen on the south end of the Larto, like your headed to "Bean Field" and Vick Hwy there were pumping water right out of Larto to water the cotton across the road.

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Not an oilfield expert by any means. Listening to the people that have lived there all their life, the salt water from the wells were not transported properly. Lots of field lines that carried waste water busted with no urgency to fix them. This was back in the 70's and early 80's from my understanding. I also imagine that the flooding would spread the contaminated water throughout the complex. Again, I wasn't around then, but that seems to be the general idea of the people that I have spoken to. And your right about the drinking water. It is no telling what is in the well water that people use.

Ok I got it now, the same thing happened in Henderson and I guess is still happening. I worked for a company a few years back the bought some leases in Henderson in the old Texaco Field. I asked them if they had lost their mind, they wanted to know why so I took them for a boat ride to show them all the exposed flow lines, broken flow lines and what not.