The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, in cooperation with the Pointe Coupee Parish Police Jury, recently completed the installation of six new gravel spawning beds and the expansion of three existing beds on False River near New Roads. Siltation had previously covered much of the lake’s natural hard bottom that is essential for nesting sportfish, so the beds were installed to enhance fish spawning habitat.
State Rep. Major Thibaut was instrumental in obtaining the necessary funding to purchase the gravel. “This cooperation among state and local agencies, as well as private citizens, is vital for the continuation of restorative efforts in and around False River,” stated Rep. Thibaut. “These beds play an important role in the restoration of False River and promote the spawning of bass, bream and sac-a-lait.”
Approximately 70 tons of gravel was distributed throughout nine locations. Each spawning bed is roughly 400 square feet, designed in strips of 20-feet by 20-feet or 10-feet by 40-feet, and measuring in thickness of about 4 inches of gravel.
Watershed drainage alterations during the 1970s and 1980s resulted in deterioration of the water quality, aquatic vegetation and fisheries. A watershed management plan was drafted in 2013, and updated in 2018, to address issues within the watershed. The plan draws from the expertise of many parish, state and federal agencies including LDWF, the Department of Natural Resources, the Department of Environmental Quality, the Department of Health and Hospitals, the Department of Agriculture and Forestry, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, as well as other local stakeholders.
With the completion of this project, a total of sixteen gravel spawning beds have been installed in the lake as part of the False River Restoration Plan.