Davis Pond diversion operations and Corps accountability
St. Charles Parish
Summary
The parish keeps operating the Davis Pond Freshwater Diversion under a renewed CPRA agreement, with the state covering 100 percent of costs and federal reimbursement.
At a glance
- Total mentions
- 6
- Last 30 days
- 1
Discussed at 1 meeting in the last 60 days; most recently Oct 13, 2026.
Impact analysis
Costs are fully covered by CPRA funding and reimbursed federally.
Coastal wetlands, fisheries and the whole parish's flood protection outlook.
Drought-year salinity spikes are killing cypress and upper-basin fisheries, with local tackle shops and tournaments already lost.
Mentions & discussions (6)
SCP Coastal Zone Advisory Committee 12:00 PM (trimmed) - Oct 13, 2026
A recent study suggests the Davis Pond diversion has almost no effect on salinity in the basin, even running wide open. Committee members want to press the Corps before its December operations plan is finalized, arguing the diversion is at its 50-year midpoint and should be re-examined against original promises. Repairs to leaking guide levees may also unlock higher diversion capacity.
SCP Coastal Zone Advisory Committee 12:00 PM (trimmed) - Jul 14, 2026
New data shows Davis Pond accounts for only about 3.5% of basin water exchange at max flow and doesn't hurt brown shrimp, so parish leaders want to scrap the shrimp-season shutdown and keep the diversion running harder. That matters for anglers, crabbers, and everyone fighting saltwater intrusion in Lake Cataouatche and Lake Salvador.
SCP Coastal Zone Advisory Committee 12:00 PM (trimmed) - May 12, 2026
A committee member reported the Davis Pond diversion is running at about 7,000 cubic feet per second and the lake is filling with aquatic vegetation — a big turnaround for fisheries and storm surge protection. A DPAC meeting is set for June 23.
Parish Council 6:00 PM (trimmed) - Apr 20, 2026
The parish keeps operating the Davis Pond Freshwater Diversion under a renewed CPRA agreement, with the state covering 100 percent of costs and federal reimbursement.
SCP Coastal Zone Advisory Committee 12:00 PM (trimmed) - Apr 14, 2026
Committee member Lambert urged residents to call state wildlife officials to keep Davis Pond flowing at a floor of 4,000 CFS, saying the upper estuary is dying and commercial shrimpers may push to cut the flow. A semi-annual Davis Pond advisory meeting is set for June 23.
SCP Coastal Zone Advisory Committee 12:00 PM (trimmed) - Jan 13, 2026
CPRA reported 2025 was Davis Pond's highest discharge year since 2013, but committee members warned the upper estuary near Lake Des Allemands is still dying from saltwater intrusion during low-river months — hurting bass fishing, bait shops and the local economy. Members asked for more real-time salinity monitoring stations and floated a siphon-style diversion north of Lake Des Allemands.
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