border: 0px none; The Atchafalaya Basin is the nation's largest river swamp, containing almost one million acres of America's most significant bottomland hardwoods, swamps, bayous and backwater lakes. Geologically, the Atchafalaya River has been a backswamp, low area between the paths of the Mississippi River through the process of delta switching, which has built the extensive delta plain of Louisiana. Today, little remains of the swamp community buried underneath the murky waters of the Atchafalaya. Lake Chicot is a 2,000 acre reservoir located in Chicot State Park in Evangeline Parish, Louisiana. It receives periodic backwater flooding from the Atchafalaya River and excess rainwater through the Courtableau water-control structure north of Indian Bayou. Maps Atchafalaya Delta WMA Atchafalaya Delta WMA Main Delta Limited Access Area Atchafalaya Delta WMA Wax Delta Limited Access Area Parish St. Mary Acreage 137,695 The Atchafalaya National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1984 to improve plant communities for endangered and declining species of wildlife, waterfowl, migratory birds and alligators. -->. For other uses of the term "Atchafalaya", see. Wife and I (no pics) got up early Sunday morning after making reservations at the "Little Big Cup" in Arnaudville and started our hour plus trip from Denham. Locked padlock Purpose. border: 0px none; Religious traditions are an important part of the culture of the Atchafalaya NHA. Controlling a flood is one thing, but maintaining a fragile ecosystem is another. Within the bay, two deltas (Main Delta and Wax Lake Delta) have formed from the accretion of sediments from the Atchafalaya River and from dredged material deposited by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. You may obtain hunting season overnight mooring privileges via a 5-year lease or lottery. atchafalaya basin map atchafalaya basin map border: 1px none; Identify potential sites to improve swamp habitat and health of forest stands for wildlife, such as lands in agricultural var tlxLastPublishedDate = null; var now = new Date(); var edited = (tlxLastPublishedDate != null) ? Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, Jean Lafitte National Historical Park - Acadian Cultural Center, Jean Lafitte National Historical Park - Prairie Acadian Cultural Center, Jean Lafitte National Historical Park - Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center, Natchez Trace Parkway and National Scenic Trail. The population rose quickly over the next twenty years, as the United States Census of 1860 counted 675 residents in the community. Before USACE was responsible for allocating the waters in the Atchafalaya basin, water went where it pleased and people accepted it. Now who gets what? Since the 1600s, having been considered wastelands for centuries, more than half of these fragile ecosystems have been converted for other purposes. There are also a number of pilings available for houseboat mooring. By the 1940s, one-third of the great river had been captured. However, searching Google Maps for Indian Bayou WMA will get you to the small parking area located ~460 ft. from the kiosk site. It contains the largest contiguous block of forested wetlands remaining (about 35%) in the lower Mississippi River valley and the largest block of floodplain forest in the United States. Located at the mouths of the Atchafalaya River and the Wax Lake Outlet, Atchafalaya Delta WMA mostly consists of open water in Atchafalaya Bay. Restroom Facilities This research isnt just about hydrodynamics, Jung said. The Atchafalaya Basin is located in the central part of the coastal zone, west of the Terrebonne Basin (Figure AT-1). width: 100%; 2012. -->,