Bayou Lafourche facts for kids
Bayou Lafourche is a long waterway in southeastern Louisiana, United States. It stretches about 106 miles (171 km) and flows all the way to the Gulf of Mexico. People often call it "the longest Main Street in the world." This is because Louisiana Highway 1 runs along one side and Louisiana Highway 308 runs along the other.
The bayou goes through parts of Ascension, Assumption, and Lafourche parishes. Today, about 300,000 people in Louisiana get their drinking water from Bayou Lafourche.
A Look Back in Time: History of Bayou Lafourche
The name "Lafourche" comes from the French word for "the fork." This name was given because the bayou used to be a big branch of the Mississippi River. It was once known as the Chetimachas River.
The first Acadians, who are now known as Cajuns, settled near Bayou Lafourche. This made the bayou very important to Cajun culture.
In 1905, a dam was built at Donaldsonville. This dam stopped the bayou from getting fresh water and nutrients from the Mississippi River. This change caused a large wetland area in central Louisiana to lose land. It also made the bayou flow less, turning it into a more still waterway.
The Bollinger Shipyards, a company that builds ships, started on Bayou Lafourche in 1946.
Bringing the Mississippi River Back to the Bayou
There's a plan to connect Bayou Lafourche to the Mississippi River again at Donaldsonville. This project will use a special structure to control how much water flows into the bayou.
The main goal is to help stop the land loss that happened after the dam was built. It will also make the water quality in the bayou much better. This project is important for the environment and for the people who rely on the bayou for water.
Crossing the Bayou
Many roads and railroads cross Bayou Lafourche from north to south. Most of these crossings connect LA 1 to LA 308. Some well-known crossings include:
- LA 3089 (Albert Street) in Donaldsonville
- LA 70
- LA 402, Hospital Rd. at Napoleonville
- LA 20 (St. Patrick Street) in Thibodaux
- Raceland Lift Span Bridge
- US 90
- LA 655 (Rita Bridge) at Lockport
- LA 657 Vertical Lift Bridge at Larose
- LA 3162 (South Lafourche Bridge) at Galliano
- LA 308 (Golden Meadow Lift Bridge) in Golden Meadow
- LA 1 (Gateway to the Gulf Expressway) at Leeville
