Here’s your sign…

Water gushing through the tainter gates this past spring

A lot of folks have been wondering what’s going on BELOW the spillway at Lake D’arbonne the past few weeks.

The DOTD is installing a big warning sign to keep boaters away from the spillway on the downstream side. This area has been restricted since the installation of the new tainter gates. It hasn’t been enforced because there was no signage in the area.  That is changing now and it will be enforced by local law enforcement.

If you have ever seen the water gushing over the spillway during high water or out of the new tainter gate when it is open, you probably can’t fully understand why it’s being posted. But trust me, there’s a ton of current and undertow that could suck a boat under or capsize it before you knew what was happening. And it could rip a life jacket right off of you.

I know, I know — when the current is rolling, the fish like to move up in there. Well, it is just too dangerous, so follow the signs to make sure you aren’t a victim of the current.

A huge buoy line also blocks off the spillway on the lakeside to prevent boaters from getting too close or accidentally going over the spillway. There have been fatal accidents in this area in years past and we don’t need any more.

One other note: there is also some patch work being done on the old spillway structure to shore it up a bit and hopefully, some work on the access road.

This buoy line keeps boaters a safe distance from the spillway on the lake side.