By Rick Owens, LWF Advocacy Manager
LWF continues to monitor and pursue opportunities that support efforts to protect and manage Catahoula Lake resources for the benefit of wildlife, the habitat, and public access interests.
Catahoula Lake, located in central Louisiana, is the largest freshwater lake in Louisiana and had been managed since the 1970s to benefit wildlife, including migratory game species and shorebirds. It is known for offering world class hunting opportunities that attract people from all over the country. It was named a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance due to its excellent feeding and resting areas for a variety of avian species—waterfowl, shorebirds, and wading birds.
In 2020, the Louisiana Supreme Court upheld a trial court’s determination in the case Crooks v. State Dept. of Nat. Res., 2019-0160 (La. 1/29/20), that Catahoula Lake was not a lake but instead a river under Louisiana law. As a river, under Louisiana law, the waterbody is now privately owned “riverbank.” The riverbank is the area between the ordinary high and ordinary low water marks. As a result, only the portion of the waterbody below the ordinary low water mark (i.e., the “riverbed”) is considered publicly owned. In this way, a public lake of about 23,000 acres was largely privatized, and the elements of public management have been put on hold, or lost, while the adjacent landowners, both private and public, assert their new property boundaries.
The reclassification of Catahoula Lake as a river became final and unappealable in 2021. Since then, the litigation has continued in large part to set the boundaries of the ordinary low-water mark, ordinary high-water mark, and the boundaries between the adjacent landowners on Catahoula Lake’s riverbanks. All three of these boundaries must be located and set (either through mutual consent or through litigation) to lift the cloud over Catahoula Lake’s ownership and management.
Based off the court ruling, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) and the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission (LWFC), identified as a landowner in the matter, asserted their claim to new lands, and adopted approximately 2,400 acres as public property within the Dewey Wills WMA. The boundaries of these acres have been determined, in part, by contractual land agreements with adjoining landowners. LWF commends LDWF’s efforts to work within the parameters of the court ruling to provide habitat management and public access to these lands in a timely and efficient manner. Additionally, LWF recognizes LDWF for their request to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), as an adjoining landowner to Dewey Wills WMA, to acknowledge their ownership of land, as determined by the Louisiana Supreme Court. LWF supports LDWF’s position and joins them in asking USFWS to move forward with identifying lands that can be administered for public access and quality habitat management.
The Louisiana Wildlife Federation recently conducted an informal poll about concerns surrounding the current conditions of Catahoula Lake. The poll was an effort by LWF to gain a better understanding of how residents and concerned interest groups felt about the ongoing issues surrounding the basin. While the survey was not conducted using random sampling methods, efforts were made by LWF to obtain opinions from a wide group of interested parties. Results from the survey showed that 85% of respondents supported a refuge or resting area in the basin, 81% believed wildlife habitat had gotten worse in the past five years, and 76% believed recreational access for hunting, fishing, and birding had deteriorated. Additionally, an overwhelming 72% of those questioned indicated that they approved of public funds being used for land acquisition or management, land acquisition from willing sellers, and the use of conservation easement agreements that would create public access to portions of the basin to help maintain habitat management as previously enjoyed on Catahoula Lake. A summary of the survey results can be viewed here, and the complete survey can be viewed here.
LWF recognizes concerned individuals and groups still disagree with the decisions that have resulted from the lengthy and complex legal battle that has surrounded Catahoula Lake. But the Louisiana Supreme Court has ruled in the final appeal.
As it stands today, LWF is deeply concerned that wildlife habitat is declining in what we have all called Catahoula Lake. Comprehensive management should be a top priority. We urge USFWS to act responsibly and conduct a land survey that establishes their boundaries. Establishing the property boundaries of Catahoula National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) would provide increased public access and allow USFWS to enter agreements to comprehensively manage a large portion of this important habitat sooner rather than later. This action would best serve the sportsmen’s interests by providing quality habitat management and public access for the outdoor community.
Anyone interested in providing comments can contact LWF at rick@lawildlifefed.org.
Letter to LDWF and USFWS about Catahoula Lake management (2023):
https://lawildlifefed.org/2023/10/lwf-comments-on-catahoula-lake/
Letter to LDWF, USFWS, Corps of Engineers (2020) about water levels in Catahoula Lake:
https://lawildlifefed.org/2020/10/enforcing-catahoula-lakes-mid-lake-refuge-maintaining-waterfowl-habitat/
LWF’s support for public ownership and management of Catahoula Lake (2019):
https://lawildlifefed.org/resolution/support-for-public-ownership-and-management-of-catahoula-lake/
LWF’s resolution on USFWS budget cuts over the past 15 years (2025):
https://lawildlifefed.org/resolution/addressing-staff-reductions-on-wildlife-conservation-and-public-engagement-throughout-the-national-wildlife-refuge-system/