Caddo Lake
Encyclopedia
Caddo Lake is a 25400 acres (10,279 ha) lake
and wetland located on the border between Texas
and Louisiana
, in northern Harrison County
and southern Marion County
in Texas and western Caddo Parish
in Louisiana. The lake is named after the Southeastern culture of Native Americans
called Caddoans
or Caddo
, who lived in the area until their expulsion in the 19th century. It is an internationally protected wetland under the RAMSAR treaty
and features the largest Cypress forest in the world. Caddo is one of Texas' few non-oxbow natural lakes and is the 2nd largest in the South
; however, it was artificially altered by the addition of a dam in the 1900s.
legend, the lake was formed by the 1812 New Madrid Earthquake
. There may be some truth to the legend, as Reelfoot Lake
in Tennessee
was formed by that earthquake
, but most geologists now feel that Caddo Lake was formed gradually rather than catastrophically. The lake was formed, either gradually or catastrophically, by the "Great Raft
," a 100-mile (160-km) log jam
on the Red River
in Louisiana
, possibly filling the basin
that the intense uplift and shifting of the earthquake had created.
and US
annexation
of both Louisiana and Texas in the 19th century. The cities of Port Caddo, Swanson's Landing, and Jefferson
in Texas, and Mooringsport
in Louisiana, had thriving riverboat ports on the lake. Gradually as the log jams were removed in the lake and the Red River by Captain Henry Miller Shreve
and then by the Army Corps of Engineers, the lake changed shape and eventually fell over ten feet, destroying the East Texas
ports and their riverboat industry.
Industry once again came to Caddo Lake with the discovery of oil
beneath it. The world's first over water oil platform
was completed in Caddo Lake in 1911. The Ferry Lake No. 1 was erected by Gulf Refining Company. The well bottomed at 2185 feet (666 m) and produced 450 oilbbl/d.
Oil derricks sprang up throughout the lake, around the turn of the 20th century, further damaging the fragile ecosystem
. The oil industry left Caddo for richer fields at Kilgore
and other locations in Texas. Texas tried to preserve parts of Caddo in 1934 by establishing a State Park
, constructed by the WPA
. The establishment of the Longhorn Army Ammunition Plant on the shores of Caddo, in the mid 20th century, polluted
large portions of the surrounding wetlands until its closure in the 1990s.
An ecologist named Lionel Janes conducted a survey of Caddo Lake (called Ferry Lake at the time) in 1913 and 1914. Based on an examination of cross sections of baldcypress and hardwood trees and many dead stumps he estimated that the lake came into existence sometime between 1770 and 1780.
to be become the Caddo Lake State Park and Wildlife Management Area. As a result of efforts by the Caddo Lake Institute (co-founded by Don Henley
and Dwight K. Shellman), in October 1993 Caddo Lake became one of thirteen areas in the United States
protected by the Ramsar Convention
. As of 2003 Caddo Lake flora and fauna consisted of: 189 species
of tree
s and shrubs, 75 grasses, 42 woody vines, 216 kinds of birds, 90 fish
and reptiles, and 47 mammals. One of these species, Crataegus opaca or mayhaw
fruit, is collected from the water to make a jelly that is considered one of the finest in the world. Forty-four of Caddo's native species were either endangered
, threatened
or rare
. From 2001 until 2003 Caddo Lake residents fought a legal battle with the City of Marshall, Texas
over water rights.
Voices advocating preservation of Caddo Lake included rocker Don Henley
, frontman for The Eagles.
Efforts at removing the weed have included biological means via beetles that normally eat the weed but cannot survive the Texas cold and now include herbicide. The Texas Water Resource Institute's Caddo Lake Salvinia Eradication Project is evaluating multiple methods of eradication. See TWRI's website for details.
'sightings' according to the Texas Bigfoot Research Center (TBRC) as told on the Travel Channel
2006 documentary Bigfoot.
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
and wetland located on the border between Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
and Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, in northern Harrison County
Harrison County, Texas
Harrison County is a county of the U.S. state of Texas. In 2000, its population was 62,110. It is named for Jonas Harrison, a lawyer and Texas revolutionary. It is located in the Ark-La-Tex region...
and southern Marion County
Marion County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 10,941 people, 4,610 households, and 3,120 families residing in the county. The population density was 29 people per square mile . There were 6,384 housing units at an average density of 17 per square mile...
in Texas and western Caddo Parish
Caddo Parish, Louisiana
Caddo Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Shreveport; as of 2000, the population was 252,161...
in Louisiana. The lake is named after the Southeastern culture of Native Americans
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
called Caddoans
Caddoan Mississippian culture
The Caddoan Mississippian culture was a prehistoric Native American culture considered by archaeologists as a variant of the Mississippian culture. The Caddoan Mississippians covered a large territory, including what is now Eastern Oklahoma, Western Arkansas, Northeast Texas, and Northwest Louisiana...
or Caddo
Caddo
The Caddo Nation is a confederacy of several Southeastern Native American tribes, who traditionally inhabited much of what is now East Texas, northern Louisiana and portions of southern Arkansas and Oklahoma. Today the Caddo Nation of Oklahoma is a cohesive tribe with its capital at Binger, Oklahoma...
, who lived in the area until their expulsion in the 19th century. It is an internationally protected wetland under the RAMSAR treaty
Ramsar Convention
The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands, i.e., to stem the progressive encroachment on and loss of wetlands now and in the future, recognizing the fundamental ecological functions of wetlands and their economic, cultural,...
and features the largest Cypress forest in the world. Caddo is one of Texas' few non-oxbow natural lakes and is the 2nd largest in the South
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
; however, it was artificially altered by the addition of a dam in the 1900s.
Formation
According to CaddoCaddo
The Caddo Nation is a confederacy of several Southeastern Native American tribes, who traditionally inhabited much of what is now East Texas, northern Louisiana and portions of southern Arkansas and Oklahoma. Today the Caddo Nation of Oklahoma is a cohesive tribe with its capital at Binger, Oklahoma...
legend, the lake was formed by the 1812 New Madrid Earthquake
New Madrid earthquake
The 1811-1812 New Madrid earthquakes were an intense intraplate earthquake series beginning with an initial pair of very large earthquakes on December 16, 1811. These earthquakes remain the most powerful earthquakes ever to hit the eastern United States in recorded history...
. There may be some truth to the legend, as Reelfoot Lake
Reelfoot Lake
Reelfoot Lake is a shallow natural lake located in the northwest portion of Tennessee, United States of America. Much of it is really more of a swamp, with bayou-like ditches connecting more open bodies of water called basins, the largest of which is called Blue Basin. Reelfoot Lake is noted for...
in Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
was formed by that earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
, but most geologists now feel that Caddo Lake was formed gradually rather than catastrophically. The lake was formed, either gradually or catastrophically, by the "Great Raft
Great Raft
The Great Raft was a gigantic logjam or series of "rafts" that clogged the Red and Atchafalaya Rivers and was unique in North America.-Origin:It has been speculated that the trees in the jams were knocked down by an impact event...
," a 100-mile (160-km) log jam
Log jam
A log jam is an accumulation of Large Woody Debris that can span an entire stream or river channel.-Effects on stream/river geomorphology:...
on the Red River
Red River (Mississippi watershed)
The Red River, or sometimes the Red River of the South, is a major tributary of the Mississippi and Atchafalaya Rivers in the southern United States of America. The river gains its name from the red-bed country of its watershed. It is one of several rivers with that name...
in Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, possibly filling the basin
Basin
Basin may refer to:* Basin , a poem about Charlemagne's childhood* basin , the area of a drydock which can be flooded and drained* basin of attraction , an area of a nonlinear system with an attractor...
that the intense uplift and shifting of the earthquake had created.
History
Caddo was first seen by Native Americans in the 18th century, but substantial development would only begin with invention of the steamboatSteamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
and US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
annexation
Annexation
Annexation is the de jure incorporation of some territory into another geo-political entity . Usually, it is implied that the territory and population being annexed is the smaller, more peripheral, and weaker of the two merging entities, barring physical size...
of both Louisiana and Texas in the 19th century. The cities of Port Caddo, Swanson's Landing, and Jefferson
Jefferson, Texas
Jefferson is an historic city in Marion County in northeastern Texas, United States. The population was 2,024 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Marion County, Texas, and is situated in East Texas...
in Texas, and Mooringsport
Mooringsport, Louisiana
Mooringsport is a village in Caddo Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 833 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Shreveport–Bossier City Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography: Mooringsport is located at ....
in Louisiana, had thriving riverboat ports on the lake. Gradually as the log jams were removed in the lake and the Red River by Captain Henry Miller Shreve
Henry Miller Shreve
Henry Miller Shreve was the American inventor and steamboat captain who opened the Mississippi, Ohio and Red rivers to steamboat navigation. Shreveport, Louisiana, is named in his honor....
and then by the Army Corps of Engineers, the lake changed shape and eventually fell over ten feet, destroying the East Texas
East Texas
East Texas is a distinct geographic and ecological area in the U.S. state of Texas.According to the Handbook of Texas, the East Texas area "may be separated from the rest of Texas roughly by a line extending from the Red River in north central Lamar County southwestward to east central Limestone...
ports and their riverboat industry.
Industry once again came to Caddo Lake with the discovery of oil
Petroleum
Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
beneath it. The world's first over water oil platform
Oil platform
An oil platform, also referred to as an offshore platform or, somewhat incorrectly, oil rig, is a lаrge structure with facilities to drill wells, to extract and process oil and natural gas, and to temporarily store product until it can be brought to shore for refining and marketing...
was completed in Caddo Lake in 1911. The Ferry Lake No. 1 was erected by Gulf Refining Company. The well bottomed at 2185 feet (666 m) and produced 450 oilbbl/d.
Oil derricks sprang up throughout the lake, around the turn of the 20th century, further damaging the fragile ecosystem
Ecosystem
An ecosystem is a biological environment consisting of all the organisms living in a particular area, as well as all the nonliving , physical components of the environment with which the organisms interact, such as air, soil, water and sunlight....
. The oil industry left Caddo for richer fields at Kilgore
Kilgore, Texas
Kilgore is a city in Gregg and Rusk Counties in the eastern part of the U.S. state of Texas. It is the home of Kilgore College, and was also the childhood home of famous classical pianist Van Cliburn...
and other locations in Texas. Texas tried to preserve parts of Caddo in 1934 by establishing a State Park
State park
State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the federated state level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational...
, constructed by the WPA
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...
. The establishment of the Longhorn Army Ammunition Plant on the shores of Caddo, in the mid 20th century, polluted
Pollution
Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into a natural environment that causes instability, disorder, harm or discomfort to the ecosystem i.e. physical systems or living organisms. Pollution can take the form of chemical substances or energy, such as noise, heat or light...
large portions of the surrounding wetlands until its closure in the 1990s.
An ecologist named Lionel Janes conducted a survey of Caddo Lake (called Ferry Lake at the time) in 1913 and 1914. Based on an examination of cross sections of baldcypress and hardwood trees and many dead stumps he estimated that the lake came into existence sometime between 1770 and 1780.
Preservation efforts
In 1993 Caddo Lake preservation entered a renaissance, with the announcement that 7,000 acres (28 km²) of Caddo purchased by the Nature Conservancy were to be merged with the 483 acre (2 km²) Texas Caddo Lake State ParkCaddo Lake State Park
Caddo Lake State Park. is a state park located in east Texas. Caddo Lake, the lake that the state park encompasses, is one of only a handful of natural lakes in Texas. The park consists of west of the lake itself, in Harrison County, near Karnack, Texas. The lake and surrounding area was drilled...
to be become the Caddo Lake State Park and Wildlife Management Area. As a result of efforts by the Caddo Lake Institute (co-founded by Don Henley
Don Henley
Donald Hugh "Don" Henley is an American singer, songwriter and drummer, best known as a founding member of the Eagles before launching a successful solo career. Henley was the drummer and lead vocalist for the Eagles from 1971–1980, when the band broke up...
and Dwight K. Shellman), in October 1993 Caddo Lake became one of thirteen areas in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
protected by the Ramsar Convention
Ramsar Convention
The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands, i.e., to stem the progressive encroachment on and loss of wetlands now and in the future, recognizing the fundamental ecological functions of wetlands and their economic, cultural,...
. As of 2003 Caddo Lake flora and fauna consisted of: 189 species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
s and shrubs, 75 grasses, 42 woody vines, 216 kinds of birds, 90 fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
and reptiles, and 47 mammals. One of these species, Crataegus opaca or mayhaw
Mayhaw
Mayhaw is the name given to the fruit of the species of Crataegus series Aestivales that are common in wetlands throughout the southern United States. The principal species are C. aestivalis, the eastern Mayhaw, and C...
fruit, is collected from the water to make a jelly that is considered one of the finest in the world. Forty-four of Caddo's native species were either endangered
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
, threatened
Threatened species
Threatened species are any speciesg animals, plants, fungi, etc.) which are vulnerable to endangerment in the near future.The World Conservation Union is the foremost authority on threatened species, and treats threatened species not as a single category, but as a group of three categories,...
or rare
Rare species
A rare species is a group of organisms that are very uncommon or scarce. This designation may be applied to either a plant or animal taxon, and may be distinct from the term "endangered" or "threatened species" but not "extinct"....
. From 2001 until 2003 Caddo Lake residents fought a legal battle with the City of Marshall, Texas
Marshall, Texas
Marshall is a city in Harrison County in the northeastern corner of Texas. Marshall is a major cultural and educational center in East Texas and the tri-state area. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of Marshall was about 23,523...
over water rights.
Voices advocating preservation of Caddo Lake included rocker Don Henley
Don Henley
Donald Hugh "Don" Henley is an American singer, songwriter and drummer, best known as a founding member of the Eagles before launching a successful solo career. Henley was the drummer and lead vocalist for the Eagles from 1971–1980, when the band broke up...
, frontman for The Eagles.
Current threat
The lake is currently "under siege" by a fast-spreading, Velcro-like aquatic fern, Salvinia molesta, also known as Giant Salvinia. Accidentally introduced to the lake by boaters, the noxious weed doubles in size every two to four days, rapidly killing off life below the surface. Most of the growth of the plant is currently on the Louisiana side, where officials have been focused on recovering from damage caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005.Efforts at removing the weed have included biological means via beetles that normally eat the weed but cannot survive the Texas cold and now include herbicide. The Texas Water Resource Institute's Caddo Lake Salvinia Eradication Project is evaluating multiple methods of eradication. See TWRI's website for details.
Texas Bigfoot
Since 1965 Texas' Caddo Lake has had hundreds of alleged BigfootBigfoot
Bigfoot, also known as sasquatch, is an ape-like cryptid that purportedly inhabits forests, mainly in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. Bigfoot is usually described as a large, hairy, bipedal humanoid...
'sightings' according to the Texas Bigfoot Research Center (TBRC) as told on the Travel Channel
Travel Channel
The Travel Channel is a satellite and cable television channel that is headquartered in Chevy Chase, Maryland, US. It features documentaries and how-to shows related to travel and leisure around the United States and throughout the world. Programming has included shows in African animal safaris,...
2006 documentary Bigfoot.
Cities and towns on Caddo lake
- Jefferson, TexasJefferson, TexasJefferson is an historic city in Marion County in northeastern Texas, United States. The population was 2,024 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Marion County, Texas, and is situated in East Texas...
- Karnack, TexasKarnack, TexasKarnack is a rural unincorporated community in northeastern Harrison County near Caddo Lake in the eastern region of the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 775 at the 2000 census....
- Mooringsport, LouisianaMooringsport, LouisianaMooringsport is a village in Caddo Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 833 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Shreveport–Bossier City Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography: Mooringsport is located at ....
- Oil City, LouisianaOil City, LouisianaOil City is a town in Caddo Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 1,219 at the 2000 census. Oil City is located on Louisiana Highway 1 north of Caddo Lake...
- Swansons Landing, TexasSwansons Landing, TexasSwansons Landing is a settlement in Harrison County, Texas, United States, south of Caddo Lake.-References:...
- Uncertain, TexasUncertain, TexasUncertain is a city in Harrison County, Texas, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 150. The City of Uncertain was incorporated in 1961 as a Type B, General Law City with a mayor and five aldermen on an at large basis...