Environmental Atlas of the Lake Pontchartrain Basin

Environmental Status and Trends - Status and Trends of the Lake Pontchartrain Basin

• Environmental Status and Trends
• Pleistocene Terraces Region
• Marginal Deltaic Basin Region
• Mississippi River Deltaic Plain Region
  • Central Wetland Area
  • South Lake Borgne Area
  • Lake Borgne Area
  • St. Bernard Wetland Area
  • Breton-Chandeleur Sound Area
  • Chandeleur Islands Area
  • Plaquemines Wetland Area
  • Birdfoot Delta Area

The Lake Borgne Area (LBA) , located in St. Bernard Parish, encompasses 162,505 acres of waters of Lake Borgne (Figures 1 and 14). Salt water from the Mississippi Sound influences the salinity of Lake Borgne, but inflow of fresh water from the Pearl River system has a strong freshening influence (see Bonnet Carré and Pearl River Salinity Impact Models). Shoreline erosion has been significant around the entire shore of Lake Borgne (see Shoreline Changes of Lake Borgne and Shoreline Change Rates of Lake Borgne).

Lake Borgne supports an estuarine assemblage of fishes. Red drum, spotted seatrout, blue crab and brown and white shrimp are all commercially important species. Lake Borgne is particularly important as the site of some of Louisiana's prime oyster grounds. The federally threatened Gulf sturgeon has been reported in Lake Borgne, and the threatened brown pelican can commonly be found throughout this area.

The majority of the fish and shellfish populations, as well as most water-dependent birds of the LBA have been showing steady populations and are expected to remain so, with the exception of the brown pelican which continues to flourish in this area (see Tables 2, 3 and 4).