What is a Bayou?

The term bayou, pronounced, (Bye..You), became a part of the American language via the French and is thought to originate from the Choctaw word bayuk, which in their language meant "small stream". Bayous First appeared in 18th-century accounts and maps, often as a French term called a bayouque.

 

The tribal Indians created the first settlements along the Bayous in Louisiana. Then eventually, the Cajuns of Louisiana, primarily coming from eastern Canada in as early as the 18th century, occupied these small streams. Much of the bayou country in Louisiana, were properties given to settlers by the original first French authorities in the “Novelle Orleans” colony, now known as New Orleans. Many Bayous can also be found in swamp areas of the state and as tributaries off of rivers or lakes.

Although Louisiana is not the only state with bayous, Louisiana has more bayous than any other state, (with over 100 named bayous), Louisiana is nicknamed “The Bayou State”. These small streams can be as long as 125 miles and 300 yards wide in the bayou country.

An example is Bayou Lafourche which is 106 miles long in southeastern Louisiana and flows into the Gulf of Mexico. This bayou is flanked by Louisiana Highway 1, which is known as "the longest Main Street in the world." This bayou, as with many other small streams, was once part of a large river, (the Mississippi River). This major bayou in southeastern Louisiana is navigable and is often used by Tugboats, barges, Gulf fishing boats, and many other types of

vessels.

What is the loneliest bayou in the state? Bye yourself! J