Bayou La Loutre (old course of Mississippi River)

USA / Louisiana / Poydras /
 bayou, draw only border
Old course of the Mississippi River Flowed through this area approximately 3000 years ago.It was marsh all the way past the Chandeleurs.It also laid the mud down where New Orleans is,and by doing that turned Pontchartrain into a lake by laying land down on its southern side.Once the river stretched out that far into the gulf it was only a matter of time until a flood broke through upstream and the river found a shorter route to the sea.The place it broke through is where present day Bayou Lafourche is.After the river changed course and abandonded the Chalmette lobe,the Gulf started eroding away at all the marsh and pushing the coast further inland.While that was happening The Lafourche lobe was building more land around Terrebone Parish,until a flood happened and the river broke its banks and found a shorter way to the Gulf again,Called the Plaquemine Lobe.While in the Plaquemine lobe the river flowed out of Bayou La Loutre and Bayou Lery.Then switched at English Turn and that is where the river flows now.In the 1950s the Army Corps of Engineers caught the Mississippi up to its old tricks again.As you can see now the river stretches way out into the Gulf.If you look to the west at the Atchafalaya you can see thats the shortest route now.The Atchafalaya is the rivers oldest delta locatable lobe called the Teche Lobe.Named after Bayou Teche (itself an old channel)and it went out aways into the gulf,until the river switched to Chalmette.Well after the Flood of 27 flooded half the state the river started to cheat over towards the Atchafalaya.So the Army Corps built the Old River Control Structure to keep the whole river from going that way.
Long story short, Thousands of years ago the Mississippi flowed out the Atchafalaya.
Then it switched to Chalmette.
Then it switched to Lafourche.
Then it switched to Plaquemines where it is today.
In the 50's the Army Corps of Engineers Stopped it from flowing back into the Atchafalaya,which would have left Baton Rouge and New Orleans without their ports.
Now if only they could fill in MR.GO
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   29°49'41"N   89°35'38"W

Comments

  • You can see the outline where the river used to go. Thats pretty cool
  • It flowed out of La Loutre before Europeans got here so maybe 800-500 years ago.I tried to look it up,but couldnt find specific dates for it.
  • Nice simple explanation. Well done.
This article was last modified 10 years ago