I live in Galliano, Louisiana. This town is located between New Orleans and the Gulf of Mexico. It takes about an hour and a half to get to New Orleans and about one hour to get to Grand Isle, Louisiana which is the only inhabited barrier island Louisiana. Bayou Lafourche was used as the highway to the rest of the world until they invented the car. Houses were built along the bayou and boats were docked in front of the Houses. After the automobile was invented, they build two roads along each side of the Bayou. The first one built was on the west side of the bayou and is now known as Louisiana Highway 1, a very long road. Then they built a road on the east side of the bayou which is known as Highway 308. At first ferries were used by residents to cross the bayou and get to the other side. We now have six bridges to cross the bayou. They are fine when they are working, but it's a nightmare when one of them goes out. I love on highway 308 and the bridge near me is always broken. When my children were still living here (before they grew up and left to live with their wives/husbands and children), they had pirogues to cross the bayou when the bridge was out. I have four children and they each had their own pirogue. Not a bad way to live.
A little bit of History
Between fifteen and twenty thousand years ago (before I was born) Lafourche Parish was formed. It was well above sea level at the time. An abudant amount of sediment was being deposited by the Mississippi River. It flowed to the west of Lafourche Parish through what is now Bayou Teche and Bayou black. Seven thousand years ago, Lafourche parish WAS covered entirely by water. This water came from melting glaciers which caused sea level to rise.
Approximately five thousand years ago the river divided into three channels. When the river changed again, these three channels became bayous. These channels are now known as Bayou Lafourche, Bayou Sale and Bayou Teche. Building of the Lafourche Delta started about four thousand years ago. The source of the sediment to build this delta was Bayou Terrebonne, Bayou Black and Bayou Blue.
Bayou Blue broke out of the Lafourche Channel near Cut Off approximately two thousand years ago and build land as far east as Grand Isle. Upper and Central Lafourche were built from the older and deteriorated Teche Delta. South Lafourche developed over the past five hundred years including the creation of the Fourchon, East Timbalier and Grand Isle.
About one hundred years ago, the natural cycle of delta-building stopped and large amounts of land began to be lost. Since then the wet lands have experienced a net loss in land because the sediment is no longer spread over the land. With the building of levees the sediment is now channeled down the river to the Gulf of Mexico. We will continue to lose land. It cannot be stopped unless everyone agrees to have their homes flooded every year. With the new sediment being deposited, it would build up again. Do you think people will agree to have their homes flooded every year? I dont' think so. So before all of this wonderful place is gone, I want to tell everyone about it. This is a wonderful place and when it is gone, the world will lose something very unique and special.
No comments:
Post a Comment