How many bayous does louisiana have

Bayous are pockets of water that are located in low-lying depressions. Here in Louisiana, bayous may be a wetland, marsh-like lake, or even a slow-moving river or stream. While visiting, be sure to take in the Spanish moss draping from the trees, as well as the marsh birds, animals, and other plant life. Almost films have been shot in Louisiana, and several of these have taken place in the Louisiana bayou.

Documented from the s, marsh and wetland areas are experiencing a slow disappearance. The Gulf of Mexico has taken over parts of the bayou, an area that roughly equals the size of the state of Delaware. Erosion is still occurring, resulting in one acre of land lost every thirty-three minutes.

Cajun culture is an American original, to be sure. There are many Cajuns who still speak French, many of which are a blending of these unique cultures. More than a place to hunt, fish, and sightsee, the bayou serves as a natural barrier between the inland areas and natural disasters, like the storm surges from hurricanes and tropical storms. By protecting the bayou, the bayou better protects its inland cities and towns from massive flooding. When the nutria fur trade died, fur farms released nutria into the wild.

Since nutria reproduce prolifically and eat massive amounts of vegetation, including leaves, stems and root systems, their population has devoured large marshlands. Bayou Bartholomew, a mile-long wetland, supports the lives of more than fish species. Numerous species of migratory nesting birds visit Louisiana bayous in fall and spring.

The bayous not only provided the food and shelter they needed, but also offered protection from invaders. The native United Houma Nation also live in the bayous, along with Atakapa-Ishak Indians, earning their livings by shrimping and fishing. Over the centuries, the bayous have attracted a global population of immigrants, making it one of the most diverse melting pots in the United States.

The Cajun lifestyle encompasses a mixture of Creole and homespun culture, which has produced distinctive styles of music, dance and cooking. Cajun music, called zydeco, includes elements of the diverse origins and backgrounds of the people who have inhabited the bayous, encompassing African rhythms, American jazz and Canadian folk songs.

Family-owned restaurants serve local specialties like gumbo, etoufee and the seasoned pork sausage known as boudin.

Built between and , Shadows-on-the-Teche shadowsontheteche. Louisiana Swamp Tours cajuncountryswamptours. Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge fws. Technically within the city limits, the 24,acre site protects migratory, wading and shore birds, as well as archeological resources and endangered species.

The largest urban refuge in the country offers two boardwalk interpretive trails, abundant wildlife-watching and photographing opportunities, canoe trails and crabbing.

Birdwatchers flock to the refuge to spot pelicans, herons and kestrels. The Fish and Wildlife Services allows fishing year-round in some parts of the bayou. Not all of Louisiana's bayous are in the swampy south. Bayou Pierre stretches from Shreveport in the state's northwest corner to Natchitoches.