Southeast Louisiana Council, Boy Scouts of America

The lake at Salmen Scout Reservation in Hancock County, Mississippi, needs your help!

The Southeast Louisiana Council of the Boy Scouts of America has owned Salmen Scout Reservation, a 1,300-acre Scout camp, for the past 50 years, which has impacted generations of youth by providing outdoor experiences not otherwise available to these young people.

Having earned my Eagle Scout rank some 45 years ago, I personally know the importance that outdoor experiences have in developing skills and values in youth to prepare them for their adult lives. Morning Glory Lake, the 45-acre lake at Salmen Scout Reservation, plays an integral part in providing these experiences to young people. For many camp participants from around the Gulf Coast region, it provides their first (and sometimes only) opportunity to learn how to swim, boat, fish, sail, or paddle board.

One of the Council’s primary focuses has included maintaining and improving the natural environment at the camp. The camp serves thousands of Scouts and members of the community each year.

A recent assessment by Mississippi Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials determined that vegetation is impacting the camp lake. While plants remain an important part of a healthy ecosystem, too much vegetation in a lake depletes the available oxygen and threatens the fish population. The Salmen Scout Reservation Lake has reached a critical point, which requires measures to be taken to protect its ecosystem.

The good news is a natural solution exists that doesn’t require the use of herbicides or other chemicals. We plan to stock the lake with triploid grass-eating carp. This type of carp does not reproduce but does consume vegetation as its primary food source. For the Council, using a natural solution presents an easy choice as thousands of people have visited the camp and used the lake over the last 50 years--and currently use the lake on a regular basis.

Each carp costs approximately $10 to $15 plus delivery, and the Council needs at least 500 fish for initial stocking based on the current vegetation in the lake. The other critical repairs at the camp limit the Council’s ability to fund projects like this one. If the Council cannot raise the funds for this natural option, it will not be able to maintain the lake in the necessary way.

You can help by donating to this effort to purchase the carp necessary to stock the lake. The Council will use 100% of the funds to stock the lake and improve the natural habitat for the fish and wildlife that depend on the lake. These funds will not be used for other purposes. And, for fun, give your carp a name in the comments with your donation!