LCPA NEWS RELEASE

On May 2, LCPA board members traveled to Baton Rouge to help sponsor H.B. 1696 and to oppose H.B. 998, and H.B. 1381. We also oppose H.B. 421.

After lunch, we had a meeting with Dr. Len Bahr, executive assistant for Coastal Activities. He can be reached at (225)342-3968. We expressed our concerns for help. Dr. Bahr said he would request immidiate assistance from the Corps. He told us Gov. Foster sent a letter requesting the Corps. to bring the river level at Butte LaRose back up to 12 ft., and maintain it there for approx 2 wks. We thanked Dr. Bahr and returned home feeling a little encouraged.

On Friday May 4, Greg Guirard contacted me at my home. Greg told me he had recieved a fax from Bernie Boudreaux, legal advisor to Gov. Foster. The request to raise the water had come through, and we would recieve a level at Butte LaRose to 12 ft. for approx 2 wks. Greg asked me to place a marker to see how much we would recieve. Monday I noticed the river at Crook Chene had fallen approx 8 inches in three days. I contacted Dr. Bahr monday afternoon to find out what happened to our rise. He was surprised to find out the river was falling. He told me he understood our request had gone through and levels would be raised at Butte LaRose to 12 ft for two wks.

It looks like our politicians are at it again, mislead the public and maybe the problem will go away, but we're not going to go away. Today is Wednesday, May 9th and the river has fallen 19 inches in five days. There is no extra water being passed through the gates. If anything happened, less water is being diverted, for special interest. (Privately owned Hydro-Electric plant at Old River Locks). We are supposed to get a 70/30 ratio at the gates and we don't get it. There is a 15 foot difference in water levels above the gates and below the gates. A Corps spokes-person told me we could get 5 feet of water and this wouldn't hurt anyone above or below the gates. In 1973, 2,250,000 (cubic-feet per second) was passing on the river above the locks (gates). The stage above the gates was 62 ft. There was 780,000 (CFS) passing through the gates and the level below the gates at Simmsport was 57 ft. This was a 70/30 ratio with a five foot difference in levels. Today, there is 710,000 (CFS) above the gates with the level at 33 feet. There is 235,000 (CFS) below the gates with a level of 19 ft. I got these numbers from Corps of Engineers Charts. If these numbers are accurate and we're getting a 70/30 ratio, how can there be 5 ft differences at the gates in 1973 and a 14 ft difference today. After all, I'm just a stupid fisherman and maybe a politician or an engineer could explain these difference to me so you and I could understand. There are a lot of questions which need to be asked and answered and I'm not going to go away. Our Crawfish Industry has been devastated by special interest, neglect, and misrepresentation. This is part of our heritage and we're not going to let it die, no matter what.

When special interest and government conspire to deprive someone of making a living, it has a violation of your Civil Rights. So maybe it's time to get the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) involved and let the courts decide. No one works harder than a commercial crawfisherman and everytime we turn around someone's driving another nail into our coffin. We're not going to go away.

Mike Bienvenu President: LCPA-WEST (Louisiana Crawfish Producers Association-WEST)