LAFITTE, La. (WGNO) — In Jefferson Parish, the Coast Guard has a warning for boaters about dense vegetation in local waters, and it is a problem especially in Bayou Barataria near Lafitte.
There are lots of boaters hitting the water for the 4th of July holiday, but pesky plants are making it harder for boaters to fish, crab and maneuver around.
“We are going left, right, trying to dodge it as best as you can,” said Clay Galloway, a boater in Lafitte.
He said the water in Bayou Barataria is like a video game.
“It is like a Pac-Man job trying to avoid it all,” Galloway said.
But it is not fun and games. The U.S. Coast Guard is warning boaters of heavy vegetation that is dangerous for boaters.
“Definitely a hazard especially for smaller boats at least,” Galloway said.
He went on to say, “Well, someone has got to jump in and untangle it, and it is definitely not going to be me. It is going to be my deckhand over there.”
“You have to prop the motor up, pull it so it is angled, then you reach back up, rip away to clear it away from the prop,” Steven Saucier said.
Galloway said he’s noticed the problem has gotten worse in the last few weeks and he hadn’t really noticed heavy vegetation in the water since after Hurricane Ida.
“For whatever reason, it is happening a lot more now, but it is definitely a nuisance,” Galloway said.
They just don’t want it to get in the way of crabbing.
“The crabs are definitely running so we’ll do whatever to pull the crabs in,” Galloway said.
Other boaters believe that what’s causing the problem is when boaters leave the dock, the vegetation breaks off the land, and gets carried away with the tide.
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