2011-04-12
atchafalaya swamp tour



Atchafalaya swamp tour with Ernest Couret. We embarked from the boat ramp in the middle of Interstate 10 near Butte LaRose, LA. The most striking thing is just how much water there is. Now in the spring time, the swamp is fed by the northern snowmelt, and there is water everywhere. Also, not much wildlife to see, other than the cranes and egrets and an awesome cameo by a surprised barred owl(?). When the water level drops in a few months, we are told, the wildlife (alligators!) will become more concentrated. I can only wonder what this area was like before Interstate 10 was built over it (in 1970?). How remote it must have been. Fortunately the interstate passes over the swamp more than it passes through it. I would like to explore further.