New River (Louisiana) facts for kids
New River is a waterway in south Louisiana, USA. It's about 24.0-mile-long (38.6 km) and flows through Ascension Parish. This river starts near the huge Mississippi River in Geismar. Long, long ago, the New River and the Mississippi River were connected! But then, people built big walls called levees. These levees were made to keep the Mississippi River from flooding, especially during spring.
Because of these levees, the New River is no longer connected to the Mississippi. It used to be a "distributary" of the Mississippi. This means it was a smaller branch that flowed away from the main river. Back then, the New River was much bigger than it is today. Now, because there isn't a strong river current, a lot of dirt and sand (called sediment) has settled. This has made the New River both shallower and narrower.
About the New River's Journey
The New River once twisted and turned from Geismar. It flowed past the city of Gonzales and through the communities of St. Amant and Acy. Its journey ended at Blind River.
The New River Canal
In the early 1900s, something new was built to help the river. A canal, about 5-mile (8 km) long, was dug. It was called the New River Canal. This canal connected the New River to the Petite Amite River. The idea was to make the water flow faster and travel a longer distance all the way to Lake Maurepas.
Old New River
The original part of the New River that still flows towards Blind River is now called Old New River. It's like a branch off the main New River. The New River is very important for draining water from the eastern part of Ascension Parish. It's also a key part of the larger Lake Maurepas drainage basin. This means all the water from this area eventually flows into Lake Maurepas.
