Move would put jet skis on Catahoula Lake, Biloxi, Boeuf, Manchac, Maurepas Swamp, Pearl River and Point-Aux-Chenes WMAs
The Poole Road bridge that allows access to Loggy Bayou Wildlife Management ARea is now open to public use, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries announced.
The old wooden bridge previously at this location had a three-ton weight limit and had been closed repeatedly over the last several years when high water threatened public safety.
During the summer of 2010, Bossier Parish and Petrohawk Energy reached an agreement in which the parish provided the design and permitting for the new bridge construction and Petrohawk funded the removal of the old structure and construction of the new bridge.
Construction started on the project in October 2010 and was completed in late March. The new bridge is a concrete two-lane structure that can withstand heavy traffic and will be a noticeable improvement to Loggy Bayou WMA users.
In addition to the new bridge, those using Loggy Bayou WMA will notice significant improvements to other portions of the WMA as well.
Further improvements will be ongoing over the next several months; an agreement between LDWF and a pipeline company will result in additional road improvements, as well as improvements to the boat launch access and parking area.
LDWF staff worked in conjunction with Petrohawk and its affiliates to develop solutions to allow natural gas exploration activity on Loggy Bayou WMA, while minimizing impacts to the public area.
The public is advised that higher-than-normal traffic is to be expected on the WMA over the next several months due to drilling and completion operations. Additional road construction and improvement projects will result in extra traffic as well.
Further improvements to the boat launch access road and parking area will result in a temporary loss of access to the launch at some point when those construction activities take place.