bonnetcarre

Environmental Consequences of the Bonnet Carre Spillway

Vegetation

450 acres will be cleared for off-road vehicle use
sand hauling, vehicle use, boat use, and visitors will lead to soil erosion and subsidence and a change in vegetation
the clearing of land will contribute to soil loss
plant distribution and diversity will change
Forested tracts will become bottom land hardwoods and swamps will decrease

Wildlife

removal of fallen trees and debris from the lower borrow canal's bottom would affect 99.5 acres of aquatic habitat and lessen habitat for mink, raccoon, and several other species of reptiles and amphibians
an increase in crawfish and finfish will provide more food for wading birds, such as the great blue heron, green heron, great egret, snowy egret, tricolored heron, yellow-crowned night heron and the white ibis. Mink, raccoon, and river otter also benefit
reptiles use the area for spawning, nursery, and feeding
the alligator and the bullfrog are predators of crawfish nd their numbers should increase with the number of crawfish

Fish and Aquatic resources

Habitat quality is lost by the removal of 99.5 acres of aquatic habitat
crawfish production will increase by emphasis on fisheries enhancement, however low oxygen zones in the swamps negatively affect crawfish
A combination of better water quality and an increase in crawfish production will increase fisheries production since crawfish is the primary food for blue catfish, yellow bull head, warm mouth, and largemouth bass during high water and bowfish and garfish during low water. Flathead catfish, blue gill and black crappie also feed on crawfish
The introduction of oxygen rich waters will enhance habitat as a spawning and nursery area for largemouth bass, gizzard shad and species of buffalo, carp, catfish, gar, and sunfish
the Mississippi will be the main source of high oxygen level water
The secondary source is primary production from aquatic life. This results in the stratification of levels of oxygen