Aquarium and nonprofit work to bring paddlefish to historic Caddo Lake
KARNACK, Texas—The Shreveport Aquarium has yet to open, but already it is working to preserve East Texas history.
The aquarium has partnered with the Caddo Lake Institute to begin raising and introducing more paddlefish to Caddo Lake.
The 25,000-acre lake straddles the border of Louisiana and Texas.
The sprawling lake, filled with massive Spanish moss-draped cypress trees, is believed to have been formed when a massive logjam caused the Red River to flood sometime in the 18th Century.
It is the only natural lake of significant size in the state of Texas, according to the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department.
Around that time, the Caddo Indians expanded their territory into the area. The lake was later named for the tribe.
The Caddo Lake Institute has partnered with the new Shreveport Aquarium to help preserve the lake’s unique ecosystem. The lake is the largest bald cypress forest in the United States.
“Paddlefish are one of the oldest living species in north
America. We want to be able to continue the living history that’s in the corner of the states we share,” Shreveport Aquarium Marketing Director Jake Wood said.
The paddlefish dates back to more than 50 million years before dinosaurs roamed the earth.
Unfortunately, the paddlefish also are considered a threatened species due to poaching and ecosystem disruptment caused by the construction of dams and reservoirs.
“We oftentimes take for granted what we have right here in our backyard. There are eco-tourists who come from all over the world to visit Caddo Lake; all too often it’s not on the forefront of our attention,” Wood said.
“We want to be able to take Caddo Lake and show everyone who visits the Shreveport Aquarium what a gem we have just a couple miles outside of Shreveport.”
Caddo Lake State Park is located at 245 Park Road 2 in Karnack.