ST. MARTIN PARISH — On Friday Butte La Rose’s boat launch at the Atchafalaya Welcome Center was officially closed for drawdown season.
For years the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has seen a steady increase in invasive aquatic plants in Henderson Lake.
Fisherman Jody Meche said he's seen the volume of invasive aquatic plants go up in recent years.
"It has increased tremendously, that's why they try to do these drawdowns to try to get a handle on it and control it,” Meche said.
“It gets so thick that it chokes the oxygen in the water, it chokes down your oxygen levels.”
Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Biologist Manager Brac Salyers said these invasive plants are Hyacinth, Giant Salvinia and Hydrillas.
And over the years, the Silver Carp has made its way down from the Mississippi River.
"It's getting problematic,” Salyers said.
“They are very prolific as far as reproduction goes, they're harmful to our ecosystem, our natural habitats.”
Meche said as a fisherman it's important to be aware of the Silver Carp.
"They've been multiplying quite a bit," Meche said.
"I could probably ride you in some places potentially one of them could jump while we're riding in the boat,”
Salyers said although the drawdowns can't eliminate the species in the lake it does control them.
"We have done some research as to look at if we could document whether the fish are reproducing, in Henderson Lake, and I could tell you that we do not believe that they are spawning or reproducing in Henderson,” Saylers said.
Meche said last year's drawdown which happened right after the drought, proved successful this year.
"If you get significant water the following high water year after a drought or a drying period happens, you usually have a better fishery because of all of the new vegetation that grows in that hardened bottom,” Meche said.
Salyers said the drawdown this year so far looks like it will prove successful, possibly hitting their target of 6 feet by next week.
"Most years we have something that delays us, interrupts us, or stops us early,” Salyers said.
“In the last ten years, we've only had one truly successful drawdown. Otherwise, there's been some years we've had mechanical issues with the structure, we've had high water with the Missipili and Atchafayla river, we've had hurricanes past through, tropical storms."
Saylers said the drawdown will end on Nov. 1.
