Project to help flow of freshwater in Attakapas Island WMA

Atchafalaya Basin Program kicks in more than $220,000 for dredging work, state DNR says.

Andy Crawford

A project to dredge out the sediment trap in the Atchafalaya Basin's Dog Leg Canal should help improve fishing within the Attakapas Island Wildlife Management Area, the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources said.

Dredging began yesterday (Oct. 24) to help improve the flow of fresh water in the Attakapas Island Wildlife Management Area, the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources announced.

The maintenance project on the sediment trap at Dog Leg Canal is being funded through the DNR’s Atchalaya Basin Program, and is estimated to cost $220,523. The work is expected to take three to four weeks to complete, the agency said.

The dredging operation is located about two miles north of Myette Point on the east bank of the Atchafalaya River.

“Working with the Technical Advisory Group, this project was identified as one that would improve the natural resources of the basin in an area enjoyed by so many people.” DNR Secretary Stephen Chustz said.
 
The project will restore the existing sediment trap’s functionality at the cut and allow the transport of freshwater from the Atchafalaya River into the swamp.

This project was approved by the Atchafalaya Basin Technical Advisory Group, which is required to certify that any water-quality and water-management project nominated would result in water management or water quality improvements that will enhance the wildlife, fisheries, or forest resources of the Atchafalaya Basin.

“The construction of this project is a great start toward improving the water conditions off the east bank of the river in the area near Grand Lake,” said the group’s chairman of the Atchafalaya Research and Promotion Board Gerald Alexander.