What? Is this some kind of joke? How can they close a river? How can they repair a river? Well, we are talking about the Army Corps of Engineers and sometimes they do things that non-engineering types, aka me and you, don't understand.

Let me clarify.

The Calcasieu River is closed at the Saltwater Barrier this weekend. In fact, it's been closed for a while so Army Corps of Engineers teams can repair the gates that make up the Saltwater Barrier.

It's basically a case of a project taking longer to complete than first expected. But, you know how that is with repair jobs. Once you "break the seal" and start looking around you find that you actually have a lot more work to do than you could see from the outside looking in. That appears to be the case on this project as Corps engineers had anticipated the project would be completed by May.

If you're not familiar with what the Saltwater Barrier is all about, don't overthink it. It's basically a man-made barrier that quells saltwater intrusion into the Calcasieu River. Many plants and species of wildlife are sensitive to saltwater so the barrier protects those eco-systems.

For many who had hoped to be on the river over the July 4th holiday, it is a bit of a bummer but the good news is this. Once repairs are completed they most likely won't have to be made again for a couple of decades at least.

The Army Corps of Engineers has targeted July 11th as a potential completion date. Sure, it won't be done for this weekend but eventually, it will get done and boaters, mariners, and sportsmen will once again have the access they need.

 

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