Breton Sound Basin Discussion
Primary concerns for projects implemented in the Breton Sound Basin include local impacts on fishery harvest and access to oil and gas exploration and production sites. For all of the CWPPRA projects described previously, access and productivity associated with these industries must be addressed before CWPPRA project implementation. Although freshwater fisheries, furbearers, waterfowl and long-term estuarine sustainability would flourish through CWPPRA freshwater diversions, potential short-term losses to estuarine fisheries (e.g., oysters) must also be considered.
Historically, projects to restore coastal wetlands in the Breton Sound Basin were constructed by different entities for various management objectives. CWPPRA restoration projects in the future may include maximization of other existing freshwater diversions in the basin, including Bayou LaMoque, and introduction of other large-scale diversions (e.g., at the Bohemia Spillway) such that the long-term sustainability of the estuary and its resources can be ensured.