LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE & FISHERIES OFFICE OF FISHERIES INLAND FISHERIES SECTION PART VI -A WATERBODY MANAGEMENT PLAN SERIES TCHEFUNCTE RIVER LAKE HISTORY & MANAGEMENT ISSUES CHRONOLOGY DOCUMENT SCHEDULED TO BE UPDATED ANNUALLY June 2011 - Prepared by Melissa A. Kaintz, Biologist Manager, District 8 May 2012 – revised by Tim Ruth, Biologist Manager, District 8 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS GENERAL INFORMATION..............................................................................................................................4 Impoundment .................................................................................................................................................................4 Parish/s located.............................................................................................................................................................4 Border waters ................................................................................................................................................................4 WATER AUTHORITY...........................................................................................................................................................5 Association ....................................................................................................................................................................5 Authorization .................................................................................................................................................................5 ACCESS ..............................................................................................................................................................................5 Boat Ramps (Appendix – Figures 2, 3, and 4)...............................................................................................................5 Boat docks (Appendix – Figures 2, 3, and 4).................................................................................................................5 Piers (Appendix – Figures 2, 3, and 4)..........................................................................................................................5 State/Federal facilities...................................................................................................................................................5 SHORELINE DEVELOPMENT................................................................................................................................................6 State/National Parks......................................................................................................................................................6 Shoreline development by landowners ..........................................................................................................................6 PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION OF RIVER.....................................................................................................................................6 Shoreline length.............................................................................................................................................................6 Timber type....................................................................................................................................................................6 Natural seasonal water fluctuation................................................................................................................................6 EVENTS / PROBLEMS ..........................................................................................................................................................6 Aquatic Vegetation ........................................................................................................................................................6 MANAGEMENT ISSUES ...................................................................................................................................7 AQUATIC VEGETATION ......................................................................................................................................................7 Treatment history by year available ..............................................................................................................................7 Type map .......................................................................................................................................................................8 Biomass..........................................................................................................................................................................8 HISTORY OF REGULATIONS................................................................................................................................................8 Fish kills ........................................................................................................................................................................9 FISH KILLS / DISEASE HISTORY, LMBV..............................................................................................................................9 CONTAMINANTS / POLLUTION..........................................................................................................................................10 Water quality ...............................................................................................................................................................11 Water level...................................................................................................................................................................11 BIOLOGICAL.....................................................................................................................................................................12 Fish samples ................................................................................................................................................................12 Lake records ................................................................................................................................................................13 Stocking History ..........................................................................................................................................................13 Species profile .............................................................................................................................................................14 Genetics .......................................................................................................................................................................17 CREEL SURVEYS ..............................................................................................................................................................17 HYDROLOGICAL CHANGES ...............................................................................................................................................17 WATER USE......................................................................................................................................................................17 Hunting........................................................................................................................................................................17 Fishing.........................................................................................................................................................................17 Trapping ......................................................................................................................................................................17 Skiing...........................................................................................................................................................................17 Scuba Diving ...............................................................................................................................................................17 Swimming ....................................................................................................................................................................18 Irrigation .....................................................................................................................................................................18 REFERENCES ...................................................................................................................................................19 APPENDIX .........................................................................................................................................................20 3 GENERAL INFORMATION The Tchefuncte River originates in Washington Parish and defines the boundaries between Tangipahoa, Washington, and St. Tammany Parishes. The river flows through two distinct ecological regions, the Mississippi Deltaic Plain and the upland Southeast Terraces, and is approximately 65 miles long (Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) 1996; Appendix – Figure 1). In the 19th Century, the Tchefuncte River was used to transport building materials to Lake Pontchartrain for shipment to New Orleans, LA. The Louisiana State Government designated the Tchefuncte River and two main tributaries, the