LDWF drawdown of Henderson Lake boosts fishing prospects
ST. MARTIN PARISH, La. (KLFY)--The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) is lowering water levels at Henderson Lake to help improve fish habitat.
The department received approval from the St. Martin Parish Government earlier this year to move forward with the drawdown following a recent parish council meeting, where the proposal was discussed and support by local officials.
During a tour, LDWF biologist, Brac Salyers, who explained why reducing the water in the lake matters.
"The drawdown really has two primary purposes, " said Salyers. "The main one is to try to stay on top of the invasive aquatic vegetation that we have out here."
LDWF officials opened the southern control gates at Henderson Lake on Aug. 4. Salyers said the water levels will continue to fall until it reaches three feet below pool stage.
"Once the water stops dropping, when the river gets low enough to nine feet main sea level, this would be five thousand acres of water that you see behind me, currently today we're at 7.4 feet and we're going to keep dropping down until we get to about 6.2 feet," said Salyers.
The biologist explained the drawdown also helps fishermen by diverting fish into small areas. He added that while the process takes time, the department appreciates the public's patience and support.
"We also appreciate the public patience and their understanding that this isn't something we're trying to inconvenience people with, it's just we're trying to benefit the lake," said Salyers. "This is a tremendous cost savings as far as the quality vegetation control that we get, and it just helps us keep the waterways open."
The drawdown at Henderson Lake is set to conclude on Nov. 3rd, with expectations of improved habitat conditions and better fishing opportunities due to concentrated fish populations.
All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by KLFY. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by KLFY staff before being published.