Another Victory for Crawfishers and the Atchafalaya Basin
Federal Court Vacates Permit for Illegal Dam on Pat’s Throat Bayou, ruling the Corps neglected its duties
(Louisiana) – On Tuesday, March 31, 2026, a federal judge in Louisiana declared the dam on Pat’s Throat Bayou to be illegal and issued a judgment in favor of Basinkeeper and LCPA – West in our organizations’ lawsuit challenging the now-vacated permit for the dam issued by the Army Corps of Engineers. This was the second victory of the day for Basinkeeper, LCPA-West and the Atchafalaya Basin, with the same court issuing a favorable ruling in our suit challenging the East Grand Lake Project, vacating and enjoining the project and saving irreplaceable wetlands of the Basin.
The dam on Pat’s Throat Bayou was illegally constructed by Miller Hunting Club in September 2021, blocking water flow and making it impossible for boats to pass through the bayou to reach Billy Little’s Lake and other popular fishing areas. After Basinkeeper informed the Corps of the dam and the damage it was causing to the area, the Corps illegally issued an after-the-fact permit for the dam, prompting Basinkeeper to swiftly take action and challenge the permit in court. On Tuesday, a federal judge vacated said permit, ruling that the Corps reached unreasonable conclusions based on the information before it and otherwise failed in its duty to do more than blindly believe the words of a permit applicant.
This win is somewhat bittersweet, as it has been years since the dam was constructed, and a significant amount of irreparable damage and degradation to wetlands and the bayou has already occurred; however, the court’s ruling clarified that the Corps may not simply “rubber stamp” the claims of a permit applicant when deciding whether to issue the permit. Here, the court found that the Corps’ failure to even conduct a site visit before authorizing the dam’s construction represented an illegal departure from its obligations. Ideally, Basinkeeper, LCPA – West, and our allies will be able to use this victory to ensure that no future obstructions to public waters are allowed to remain in our Basin.
