Caddo Lake

Project photo

Caddo Lake Institute Texas, Inc. (CLI) has been working with multiple agencies, universities, researchers and special interest groups to better understand Caddo Lake and its watershed. Caddo Lake, on the border of Texas and Louisiana, was designated as a wetland of international importance by the Ramsar Convention in 1993. This designation acknowledged the vital role that Caddo Lake plays in providing a habitat for birds, fish, native botanical species and numerous other species dependent upon its ecosystem.

Current issues facing Caddo Lake include reduced inflows, increased sedimentation, increased eutrophication as a result of nutrient loads, the appearance of giant salvinia—one of the worst aquatic species in the United States—and an increased demand for the lake’s water resources.

The overall goal of educational and research efforts at Caddo Lake and its watershed is to restore as much natural flow and flow processes to the system while retaining the capability to support economic, ecological and cultural needs. Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI) is working to assist the CLI in meeting its research goals and objectives to protect the unique Caddo Lake region of Texas and prevent and/or minimize future problems.

Objectives

  • Support CLI in research, watershed planning and various related activities
  • Assemble research information, including studies, reports and relatable databases
  • Disseminate research information related to the project through a project Web site developed, maintained and hosted by TWRI
  • Assist in securing additional funding for priority research areas

Accomplishments

  • TWRI has worked with CLI to update the project Web site: caddolakedata.us/
  • Reports previously only available in print are now available online

Collaborators

  • Texas Water Resources Institute, Texas A&M AgriLife
  • Caddo Lake Institute Texas, Inc.
  • Texas AgriLife Extension Service
  • Texas AgriLife Research
  • U.S. Geological Survey
  • Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
  • Texas Parks & Wildlife Department
  • U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
  • Northeast Texas Municipal Water District
  • U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
  • Nature Conservancy
  • Greater Caddo Lake Association