Last Modified: Friday, October 28, 2011 12:50 PM

HOUMA (AP) — Drought has forced Terrebonne Parish Waterworks officials to close a gate on a canal to keep salt water from encroaching into Bayou Black, a parish drinking water source.

But closing the gate on Minors Canal has blocked an access route for hunters who use the waterway to get to their leased hunting grounds.

Terrebonne Waterworks District General Manager Tom Wilson tells The Houma Courier (http://bit.ly/uUEjcy) that his office gets up to 10 calls a day from boaters complaining about the gate closure. But parish officials say the gate will have to stay closed until there is some relief from the weather.

"It's one of those unfortunate things. I don't think anyone doesn't want people to get out to their leases, but at the same time, we can't allow our drinking water to be compromised," said Terrebonne Councilman Kevin Voisin, who represents the area. "Ensuring safe drinking water is one of the number one priorities of local government."

With little rain since Tropical Storm Lee in September, drought has returned to the parish. That has led to salt water from the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway coming up Minors Canal and threatening to contaminate Bayou Black.

The gate has been closed to boat traffic since Oct. 10 to keep that from happening, although, The Courier reports, during less-severe salt water conditions, there is a button boaters can push to open the gate and get through.

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Information from: The Courier, http://www.houmatoday.com