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CCA Louisiana and Conservation Partners Expand
Redfish Pointe II Artificial Reef
Chevron, LDWF collaborate on important fisheries habitat
It was a foggy morning as CCA
Louisiana, along with Chevron, DLS
Energy and the Louisiana Department
of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF),
hosted government officials, volunteers and media members to view the
expansion of Redfish Pointe II Artificial Reef in the western part of Vermilion Bay. Construction began earlier
this week on the 4-acre expansion of
Redfish Pointe II Artificial Reef, which
is comprised of roughly 4,000 tons of
4-inch limestone. The original Redfish
Pointe II Reef, built in the fall of 2006,
has become a favorite fishing destination for thousands of anglers.
“As Louisiana continues to battle
the effects of coastal erosion and
habitat loss, we have made it a priority at CCA to build new habitat as
often as possible,” said CCA
Louisiana’s Habitat Chairman John
Walther. “This expanded site in Vermilion Bay will slow down wave action,
provide ideal habitat for marine organisms, and should soon become a
fishing hotspot. We expect anglers
from the area will begin to see speckled trout and redfish on this reef as
early as next spring.” Walther also
mentioned that the project would not
have been possible without project
partners Chevron and LDWF, both of
whom were on-hand for the site visit.
“Chevron is an active partner in
support of coastal
restoration, marine and
wildlife protection, and
sustainable development,” said Alex
Voorhies, West Asset
Manager for Chevron
Gulf of Mexico. “This
reef project will provide a
great new fish habitat
and help to enhance this
area’s incredibly important fishery.”
“Our continued partnership with CCA
Louisiana has proven to be a highly
successful venture, both organizations
joining together with a single goal in
mind – enhancing fisheries habitat
while providing anglers with quality
fishing destinations,” commented
LDWF Assistant Secretary Randy
Pausina. State Representative for District 49, Blake Miguez, was impressed
with the project.
“I’m proud of the collaboration
between government, non-profit, and
the oil and gas industry, especially in
my district. We are excited and honored to have these types of projects
that are an integral piece of conservation efforts along the coast,” said
Miguez. The Redfish Pointe II expansion is the 17th reef of its kind to be
built by CCA Louisiana since 2004; the
7th Annual Turkey
Trout Tournament
Kayak & Canoe Fishing
Tournament
Dec. 5, 2015
Location: Cypremont
Point State Park
Entry fee: $25 with an optional $5
entry into a side pot for heaviest
sand trout.
The event is sponsored by the
Lafayette Kayak Fishing Club.
Only human-powered kayaks and
canoes are allowed.
Get Out and Fish!
Dec. 12, 2015
Location: Sidney D. Torres
Memorial Park
organization plans to construct additional reefs along the Louisiana coast
in the future. “Seeing those rocks go
into the water is very satisfying,” said
CCA Louisiana Executive Director
David Cresson. “Our CCA Vermilion
Chapter volunteers and conservation
partners have worked on this project
for months, and knowing that their efforts will lead to great fishing for future generations is what it’s all
about.”
The construction of the reef
should take about two weeks to finish.
Upon completion, marker buoys will
be placed on the site so that anglers
can locate the reefs. The location of
the new addition is at GPS coordinates 29° 40’ 37.020" N, 92° 07’
04.980” W.
Tournament categories include
heaviest rainbow trout and heaviest
“other” fish. Age divisions include
Little Angler (ages 8 and under), Junior Angler (ages 9-15) and Adult Angler (ages 16 and older). Anglers 16
and older must possess a valid
Louisiana fishing license.
LA Magic Fundraiser
Open Bass Tournament
January 23, 2016
Location: Bob’s Bayou Black
Marina (Gibson, La.)
Entry fee: $80 per boat
Based on 50 boats, pay back will be
$945 (first place), $675 (second),
$540 (third), $405 (fourth) and $135
(fifth).
Call (985) 688-1402 for more information.
Ducks Unlimited and partners celebrate coastal restoration projects
Nearly fifty people gathered to
celebrate completion of three coastal
restoration projects yesterday at the
Falgout Canal Marina in Theriot.
Ducks Unlimited, ConocoPhillips,
Apache Louisiana Minerals LLC, the
Louisiana Coastal Protection and
Restoration Authority and the North
American Wetlands Conservation
Council restored more than 2,500
coastal acres through the Liner Canal,
Carencro Bayou and Lost Lake projects.
8
December 2015 www.marshandbayou.com
“The Gulf Coast is the continent’s
single most important wintering area
for waterfowl, and it’s being lost at a
staggering rate,” DU Coastal
Restoration Specialist Leslie Suazo
said. “Protecting and restoring
coastal marsh and prairie habitat is a
top priority for Ducks Unlimited. Our
Gulf Coast Initiative addresses the
need for coastal restoration through
direct habitat delivery and advocacy,
guided by the best available science.”
The Liner Canal project was on
the parish’s desired list for several
years, but a lack of funding delayed
implementation efforts. The project
will benefit hundreds of acres of fresh
and intermediate marsh by increasing
freshwater flow into an area severely
threatened by saltwater intrusion.
Ducks Unlimited built a multi-bay
water control structure to increase
the freshwater flow through Liner
Canal by about three times. The
structure will also prevent salt water
from accessing freshwater marshes
upstream.
“Terrebonne Parish has some of
the most dramatic rates of wetland
loss on the Louisiana coast,” Suazo
said. “Ducks Unlimited is pleased to
work with our many partners from the
public and private sectors to see
these projects finally com