Bayou Pierre (Louisiana) Explained

Bayou Pierre
Subdivision Type1:Country
Subdivision Name1:United States
Subdivision Type2:State
Subdivision Name2:Louisiana
Subdivision Type3:Parishes
Source1 Location:Shreveport, Louisiana
Source1 Coordinates:32.4709°N -93.7377°W
Mouth Location:Red River
Mouth Coordinates:32.3507°N -93.6499°W
River System:Red River
Discharge1 Location:Clarence, Louisiana

Bayou Pierre is a partially man-made bayou and ancient course of the Red River[1] in Louisiana, United States. It is a tributary of the Red River originating from an ancient bend of the Red River at Coate's Bluff (Wright Island) in Shreveport, LA [2] (now blocked off by a levee to prevent the Red River from flooding into Bayou Pierre) and merging west from the town of Clarence, Louisiana.[3] . The upper part of Bayou Pierre within Shreveport city limits is now a concrete drainage ditch at the bottom of the former watercourse, and provides street drainage for much of eastern Shreveport before the concrete drainage ditch section ends south of LA 526.

During the era of the Great Red River Raft that blocked much of the Red River and diverted water into alternate waterways such as Bayou Pierre, Bayou Pierre was a navigable waterway that served as an alternate water route connecting the downriver plantations with Shreveport. History books tell of steamships docking at the current site of Betty Virginia Park in Shreveport, LA in order to bypass the raft and serve the plantations downriver.[4]

Wildlife Management Area

In Frierson, Louisiana, there is a wildlife area for Bayou Pierre and marshes. In this land, there are 2,799 acres.[5] The land is owned by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF). They allow hunting, trapping, and ornithology. Also, camping is allowed at specific areas.[6]

History

In the early 1990s, farmers drained the area and destroyed the ecosystem. However, the farming attempts backfired assumedly because of poor soil absorption. The farmers gave up and deeded the land to the LDWF.

Ecosystem

The ecosystem is known to contain white-tailed deer, raccoons, sandpipers, dove, rabbits, and many types of waterfowl. In the winter, sandpipers flock to the area. Additionally, the area floods occasionally due to poor soil absorption.

Fort Selden

Fort Selden was situated at the junction of Bayou Pierre and Red River in Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana.[7]

Notes and References

  1. US Army Corps of Engineers . Geology of the Lower Red River . Technical Memorandums . September 1950 . TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM NO. 3-319 . 20.
  2. Web site: UL Coleman Companies . History of Coates' Bluff at Wright Island . UL Coleman Companies . 25 July 2024.
  3. Web site: Google Maps . Google Maps . 5 December 2021.
  4. Web site: Trudeau History Tours . During the steamboat era . 25 July 2024.
  5. Web site: Bayou Pierre Wildlife Management Area . Louisiana Land Conservation Assistance Network . 5 December 2021.
  6. Web site: Bayou Pierre . Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries . 5 December 2021.
  7. Frazer, Robert W. (1972). Forts of the West. University of Oklahoma Press, pp. 63-64.