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| Photo by George Monette |
Today, I was going to write a post about Louisiana bayous, since it is the main theme for my blog and for my book, The Legend of Ghost Dog Island. I found instead this wonderful article in USA Today and decided to share it.
Facts about Louisiana Bayous
By Lee Morgan, Demand Media (from USA Today Travel Tips http://traveltips.usatoday.com/louisiana-bayous-59733.html)
Located primarily in the southern reaches of Louisiana,
the bayou is a defining feature of this unique part of America. The bayou is
home to many people living in the Pelican State as well as to an abundance of
wildlife. Unlike the rest of Louisiana, bayou life has its own pace and
culture. The swamps and the gators might not be for everyone, but the people of
the bayou feel right at home. This often-misunderstood area remains a mystery
to many Americans.
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| Photo by George Monette |
The Bayou Name
The name "bayou" is even native to Louisiana.
According to the Famous Wonders website, the term "bayou" is believed
to have originated from "bayuk," a word meaning "small
stream" in a local Native American tongue. The word was first used in
Louisiana and has come to mean the braided streams that are fed by the
Mississippi River in the low-lying areas of Southern Louisiana. These marshes
or wetland areas move very slowly and make ideal homes for creatures like
alligators, crawfish and catfish -- all of which are popular bayou foods.
Bayou Culture
The bayou culture is actually more diverse than many may
think. There is no doubt that the most closely associated culture to the bayou
is the Cajun culture. The Cajuns were French-speaking settlers relocated from
Nova Scotia. They were actually known as "Acadians," but the local
dialect eventually led to the word becoming "Cajun." In South
Louisiana's bayous the culture is as diverse as the ingredients found in the
local gumbo. In addition to the French Canadians that were the foundation of
much of the bayou culture, there are also significant influences from Spanish,
German, African and Irish settlers as well as Native Americans. In modern Cajun
culture on the bayou, the people are a blend of all these cultures. In the
Southern Louisiana bayous today, you can often find people who consider
themselves "Cajuns" who primarily speak French, but have last names
like Smith, McGee or Manuel as well as the French surnames common in the
region.
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| Photo by George Monette |
Disappearing Bayous
The bayous are disappearing. Since the 1930s, the coast
of Louisiana has lost 1,900 square miles of marshes and coastal wetlands. This
is an area the size of Delaware that has been swallowed up by the Gulf of
Mexico. Despite recent efforts to reduce the erosion of the bayou, Louisiana
still loses about an acre of land every 33 minutes. That results in a loss of
25 square miles per year. Levees have funneled marsh-building sediment into the
ocean; engineers have cut 8,000 miles of canals through the bayous to help the
petroleum industry, all of which contribute to the faster erosion of the
bayous.
Bayou As Protector
Many people do not understand the importance of the
bayou, not only as a natural habitat for many species of animals, but also as a
protector of inland areas. Cities like New Orleans are under an increasing
threat from hurricanes as a result of coastal erosion. When the bayous shrink,
it means the storm surge from tropical storms and hurricanes can reach further
inland. These storm surges can result in greater flooding. An example of this
effect was apparent when the levees were overrun by Hurricane Katrina's storm
surge in 2005.
About the Author
Lee Morgan is a fiction writer and journalist. His writing has appeared for more than 15 years in many news publications including the "Tennesseean," the "Tampa Tribune," "West Hawaii Today," the "Honolulu Star Bulletin" and the "Dickson Herald," where he was sports editor. He holds a Bachelor of Science in mass communications from Middle Tennessee State University.
