L.W.F. COMMISSION DESIGNATES LITTLE LAKE PUBLIC OYSTER SEED GROUNDS, SETS OYSTER SEASON OPENING DATE OF FEB. 21 IN LITTLE LAKE

The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission (LWFC) passed a final rule at their Feb. 1 meeting designating certain state-owned water bottoms in Jefferson and Lafourche Parishes as the Little Lake Public Oyster Seed Grounds.  Following the designation, the commission set the oyster season in this area to open at one-half hour before sunrise on Feb. 21, 2007 upon the recommendation of Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries' marine biologists. However, this opening does not supercede health closures ordered by the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals. 

This designation places approximately 32,000 acres under the management of the state for the long-term benefit of the oyster resource in the area.  It is emphasized that this designation is for state-owned water bottoms within the designated area only and that the final rule does not provide authorization for access to private property.

The state-owned water bottoms in this area were previously opened to oyster harvest for a limited time in 2003 as a Temporary Natural Reef.  However, the persistence of oyster resources in the area lead to the recent request by the Louisiana Oyster Task Force for the LWFC to designate the area a permanent public oyster seed ground.  Oyster resources were located in the area and it was determined that sufficient quantities existed to allow the opening of an oyster season in Little Lake.  Oyster harvest in this area should provide economic opportunity to the Louisiana oyster industry; an industry that continues to recover following heavy impacts from the hurricanes of 2005.

The Little Lake Public Oyster Seed Grounds are those state-owned water bottoms within the area further described below:
Beginning at the intersection of the western shoreline of Barataria Waterway and the northern shoreline of Bayou St. Denis at latitude 29 degrees 29 minutes 41.385 seconds North, longitude 90 degrees 01 minutes 12.443 seconds West; thence southerly to a point at latitude 29 degrees 29 minutes 32.297 seconds North, longitude 90 degrees 01 minutes 08.030 seconds West; thence southerly to a point at latitude 29 degrees 29 minutes 23.314 seconds North, longitude 90 degrees 01 minutes 10.035 seconds West; thence southerly to a point at latitude 29 degrees 29 minutes 09.521 seconds North, longitude 90 degrees 01 minutes 15.178 seconds West; thence westerly to a point at latitude 29 degrees 29 minutes 10.637 seconds North, longitude 90 degrees 01 minutes 29.713 seconds West; thence southerly to a point at latitude 29 degrees 28 minutes 33.134 seconds North, longitude 90 degrees 01 minutes 30.449 seconds West; thence westerly to a point at latitude 29 degrees 28 minutes 40.110 seconds North, longitude 90 degrees 03 minutes 27.833 seconds West, thence southerly to a point at latitude 29 degrees 28 minutes 36.574 seconds North, longitude 90 degrees 03 minutes 29.741 seconds West; thence southwesterly to a point at latitude 29 degrees 28 minutes 22.052 seconds North, longitude 90 degrees 03 minutes 56.413 seconds West; thence southwesterly to a point at latitude 29 degrees 28 minutes 20.369 seconds North, longitude 90 degrees 04 minutes 01.526 seconds West; thence westerly to a point at latitude 29 degrees 28 minutes 19.527 seconds North, longitude 90 degrees 04 minutes 16.811 seconds West; thence westerly to a point at latitude 29 degrees 28 minutes 19.340 seconds North, longitude 90 degrees 04 minutes 23.149 seconds West; thence southwesterly to a point at latitude 29 degrees 28 minutes 12.363 seconds North, longitude 90 degrees 04 minutes 28.498 seconds West; thence westerly to a point at latitude 29 degrees 28 minutes 13.253 seconds North, longitude 90 degrees 04 minutes 33.578 seconds West; thence westerly to a point at latitude 29 degrees 28 minutes 13.533 seconds North, longitude 90 degrees 04 minutes 36.968 seconds West; thence southerly to a point at latitude 29 degrees 28 minutes 11.567 seconds North, longitude 90 degrees 04 minutes 38.407 seconds West; thence southerly to a point at latitude 29 degrees 28 minutes 05.627 seconds North, longitude 90 degrees 04 minutes 38.482 seconds West; thence southerly to a point at latitude 29 degrees 27 minutes 58.698 seconds North, longitude 90 degrees 04 minutes 38.568 seconds West; thence westerly to a point at latitude 29 degrees 27 minutes 55.110 seconds North, longitude 90 degrees 04 minutes 46.543 seconds West; thence westerly to a point at latitude 29 degrees 27 minutes 52.581 seconds North, longitude 90 degrees 05 minutes 06.066 seconds West; thence southerly to a point at latitude 29 degrees 27 minutes 48.538 seconds North, longitude 90 degrees 05 minutes 03.132 seconds West; thence easterly to a point at latitude 29 degrees 27 minutes 49.851 seconds North, longitude 90 degrees 04 minutes 45.184 seconds West; thence southerly to a point at latitude 29 degrees 27 minutes 37.031 seconds North, longitude 90 degrees 04 minutes 37.154 seconds West; thence southerly to a point at latitude 29 degrees 27 minutes 36.560 seconds North, longitude 90 degrees 04 minutes 36.658 seconds West; thence southerly to a point at latitude 29 degrees 27 minutes 24.833 seconds North, longitude 90 degrees 04 minutes 38.534 seconds West; thence southerly to a point at latitude 29 degrees 27 minutes 18.564 seconds North, longitude 90 degrees 04 minutes 37.351 seconds West; thence westerly to a point at latitude 29 degrees 27 minutes 23.151 seconds North, longitude 90 degrees 04 minutes 54.963 seconds West; thence southwesterly to a point at latitude 29 degrees 27 minutes 11.170 seconds North, longitude 90 degrees 05 minutes 08.473 seconds West; thence southerly to a point at latitude 29 degrees 27 minutes 06.634 seconds North, longitude 90 degrees 05 minutes 08.198 seconds West; thence southwesterly to a point on the southern shoreline of Little Lake at latitude 29 degrees 27 minutes 03.038 seconds North, longitude 90 degrees 05 minutes 14.223 seconds West; thence westerly along the shoreline of Little Lake to the intersection of the western shoreline of Little Lake and the southern shoreline of Bay L'ours at latitude 29 degrees 30 minutes 02.067 seconds North, longitude 90 degrees 12 minutes 02.839 seconds West; thence westerly along the shoreline of Bay L'ours to the intersection of the northern shoreline of Bay L'ours and the western shoreline of Little Lake at latitude 29 degrees 31 minutes 05.281 seconds North, longitude 90 degrees 11 minutes 51.880 seconds West; thence northerly along the western shoreline of Little Lake to the intersection of the northern shoreline of Little Lake and the western shoreline of Bayou Perot at latitude 29 degrees 34 minutes 11.659 seconds North, longitude 90 degrees 10 minutes 13.934 seconds West; thence northerly along the western shoreline of Bayou Perot to a point on the western shoreline of Bayou Perot at latitude 29 degrees 34 minutes 40.000 seconds North, longitude 90 degrees 10 minutes 08.000 seconds West; thence east to a point on the eastern shoreline of Bayou Perot at latitude 29 degrees 34 minutes 40.000 seconds North, longitude 90 degrees 09 minutes 20.000 seconds West; thence southerly along the eastern shoreline of Bayou Perot to the intersection of the eastern shoreline of Bayou Perot and the northern shoreline of Little Lake at latitude 29 degrees 33 minutes 55.686 seconds North, longitude 90 degrees 10 minutes 18.146 seconds West; thence southeasterly along the northern shoreline of Little Lake to the intersection of the northern shoreline of Little Lake and the western shoreline of Turtle Bay at latitude 29 degrees 31 minutes 57.674 seconds North, longitude 90 degrees 08 minutes 55.092 seconds West; thence northeasterly along the shoreline of Turtle Bay to the intersection of the eastern shoreline of Turtle Bay and the northern shoreline of Little Lake at latitude 29 degrees 31 minutes 55.937 seconds North, longitude 90 degrees 06 minutes 28.544 seconds West; thence southeasterly along the northern shoreline of Little Lake to a point on the northern shoreline of Little lake at latitude 29 degrees 31 minutes 28.031 seconds North, longitude 90 degrees 05 minutes 14.708 seconds West; thence southeasterly to the intersection of the eastern shoreline of Little lake and the northern shoreline of Bayou St. Denis at latitude 29 degrees 31 minutes 20.272 seconds North, longitude 90 degrees 04 minutes 50.608 seconds West; thence southeasterly along the northern shoreline of Bayou St. Denis to the point of beginning.

For more information contact Patrick Banks at 225-765-2370 or pbanks@wlf.louisiana.gov.
2007-042