The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) requested the Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) to open the water control structure at Lake Claiborne on September 18. This drawdown was initiated by the Claiborne Parish Watershed District and is conducted every six years for general shoreline maintenance of piers, boathouses etc. The water control structure is to remain open until the lake reaches a target level of seven feet below pool stage.
According to recent data, Lake Claiborne is still falling at a very slow rate. As of yesterday morning, November 9, it was measuring at 178.14 which is still short of the requested seven foot mark. With the incoming rainfall predicted in the parish over the next couple of days, water levels most likely will rise and begin to slowly fall again.
DOTD is still monitoring the level on a daily basis.
The drawdown gates will be closed on January 31, 2024, to allow the lake to refill.
Additionally, LDWF has been working with Claiborne Parish Watershed District to install some artificial fish habitats in the lake during the drawdown period.
For more information regarding the management of Lake Claiborne, the Waterbody Management Plan for the lake can be viewed at the link listed below: www.wlf.louisiana.gov/
For additional information regarding the drawdown, contact Jeff Sibley, LDWF Biologist Manager, at jsibley@wlf.la.gov or 318- 371-5294.