Caddo Lake Institute

05/25/2026

Throughout her 10-year career, certain locales continue to summon photographer Erin Newman-Mitchell. A major one is Caddo Lake—along the border of Louisiana—where she often visited with her mother, Lisa, who passed away three years ago.

Today, when she’s not camping in the area, she’s looking to capture the mist drifting between its famed bald cypress trees—images that can be eerie or somber, reflective or awe-inspiring. The setting is timeless, looking much as it has for centuries, no matter when she visits.

“It’s beautiful during all times of year,” she says.

See more of Newman-Mitchell’s photos here: https://texashighways.com/travel/capturing-the-spectacular-landscapes-of-texas/

05/21/2026

A win for the Weevils!

Huge news from the field.

Caddo Biocontrol Alliance has documented a large overwintered population of salvinia weevils at one of our release sites on Caddo Lake.

For years, cold winters in Northeast Texas and Northwest Louisiana have limited long-term survival of salvinia weevils in the wild. Researchers with the LSU AgCenter, Texas A&M, and wildlife agencies have repeatedly documented winter die-offs on Caddo following hard freezes, which is why developing cold-tolerant populations has become such an important goal. (caddolakeinstitute.org)

But this population survived.

That matters because every successful overwintering event helps identify and propagate weevils better adapted to the climate conditions of Caddo Lake. Those traits could dramatically improve long-term biological control of giant salvinia, one of the most destructive invasive aquatic plants in the south.

This is exactly the kind of progress Caddo Biocontrol Alliance was founded to achieve.

A very exciting milestone for the lake and everyone working to protect it.

05/11/2026

Thank you to the Greater Marshall Chamber of Commerce for recognizing the work of the Caddo Lake Institute as your Member of the Day!

We are grateful for your support and for helping shine a light on the importance of protecting Caddo Lake and its unique ecosystem. It is an honor to work alongside so many dedicated community partners who care deeply about the future of this special place.

Thank you for supporting conservation, education, and restoration efforts across the watershed — and for helping share our mission with the East Texas community! 💙🌿

05/11/2026

Water isn’t just an environmental issue—it’s an economic one for local communities.

Caddo Lake supports:
• Tourism and recreation
• Local businesses
• Property values
• Future economic growth

Protecting water resources means fighting pipelines, sales, or anything that attempts to drain our community of this precious resource.

05/10/2026

Some of the most remarkable wildlife in North America depends on Caddo Lake having ample water. Wildlife doesn’t separate itself from water decisions—it lives with the outcome.

Protecting East Texas water means protecting the life that depends on it. And we must protect it from pipelines, sales, or anything that threatens our way of life.

05/08/2026

Caddo Lake’s water is under threat. Decisions about water today can shape a region for generations.

Some communities are being asked to make long-term commitments about water resources without complete information about future needs.

That raises important questions:
• Will there be enough water for Northeast Texas in the future?
• How will growing rural communities be served?
• Who controls access during times of drought?

05/08/2026

In Texas, water can be bought, sold, and moved. Yet what’s at stake isn’t just water—it’s entire ecosystems, local economies, and a way of life tied to Caddo Lake and the Cypress Basin.

For Bob Sanders, his ranch, and his family, that means a future of permanent drought and irreversible damage to the land they’ve called home for generations.

For communities that depend on Caddo Lake, it would mean irreversible change.

05/07/2026

A trip to Caddo Lake demonstrates why disturbing the peace is a criminal offense. As I watched the sun set from a tour guide’s boat on this serene lake one March evening, I heard the sound of water gently lapping against the boat and little else as I watched the evening sky glow with vibrant color...

04/26/2026

Caddo is at the very bottom of the Cypress Basin. Granted no water rights when upstream dams and reservoirs were built. We are all as an east Texas region, in dire jeopardy from pipelines to the Dallas metroplex that would take control of both our groundwater /aquifer and surface water. The NETMWD and their 7 reps and cities are the only line of defense against that pipe. At the moment, they just want to run the district like a business and not consider the basin and region as a whole. Water is not a commodity; it is life and our way of life
- boating, hunting, fishing. They do not need to turn a profit (above the $3milllion in profit they made last year) as they are a public service. And the natural resources don’t know about spreadsheets and bottom lines. You can’t boat fish hunt or swim on money. Some things are worth more than $$$$. The Caddo Lake Insitute has a 33 yr track record of standing up for Caddo. We have never sold old. And we never will.