WHEREAS, Lake Pontchartrain is Louisiana’s largest brackish water lake, located near 2 major metropolitan areas and providing many hours of outdoor recreational activities for many people, and
WHEREAS, Lake Pontchartrain’s water quality continues to improve since shell-dredging and sewage discharge into the lake has been curtailed, and
WHEREAS, fishing in Lake Pontchartrain has improved in response to improving water quality, and
WHEREAS, Lake Pontchartrain has little bottom structure, natural or otherwise, and therefore limited marine habitat, causing anglers to target the few structures, railroad and highway pilings, etc. that are available, and
WHEREAS, habitat for marine organisms could be greatly improved if more underwater structure was strategically placed in the lake, thus increasing the abundance of marine organisms and improving fishing opportunities.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Louisiana Wildlife Federation urges the Jefferson
Parish Marine Advisory Board, the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries/state artificial reef program to create new, and enhance existing, natural and artificial reefs in Lake Pontchartrain that would aid in the recovery of aquatic/marine species and increase the opportunities for recreational fishing in the Lake.
Adopted by the Louisiana Wildlife Federation in convention assembled, March 12, 2000 in Alexandria, Louisiana