Southwest Pass (Mississippi River)
Encyclopedia
Southwest Pass is one of the channels
at the mouth of the Mississippi River
. It empties into the Gulf of Mexico
at the southwesternmost tip of the Mississippi River Delta
. It lies in Plaquemines Parish
in southeastern Louisiana
in the United States
. It has been the main shipping channel in the Mississippi River Delta since 1853.
Southwest Pass should not confused with a strait
in Vermilion Parish
, Louisiana, also known as Southwest Pass
.
Channel (geography)
In physical geography, a channel is the physical confine of a river, slough or ocean strait consisting of a bed and banks.A channel is also the natural or human-made deeper course through a reef, sand bar, bay, or any shallow body of water...
at the mouth of the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
. It empties into the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
at the southwesternmost tip of the Mississippi River Delta
Mississippi River Delta
The Mississippi River Delta is the modern area of land built up by alluvium deposited by the Mississippi River as it slows down and enters the Gulf of Mexico...
. It lies in Plaquemines Parish
Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana
Plaquemines Parish is the parish with the most combined land and water area in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Pointe à la Hache...
in southeastern 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 the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It has been the main shipping channel in the Mississippi River Delta since 1853.
Southwest Pass should not confused with a strait
Strait
A strait or straits is a narrow, typically navigable channel of water that connects two larger, navigable bodies of water. It most commonly refers to a channel of water that lies between two land masses, but it may also refer to a navigable channel through a body of water that is otherwise not...
in Vermilion Parish
Vermilion Parish, Louisiana
Vermilion Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Abbeville. As of the 2010 census, the population was 57,999....
, Louisiana, also known as Southwest Pass
Southwest Pass (Vermilion Parish)
Southwest Pass is a narrow strait in Vermilion Parish in southern Louisiana in the United States. It connects the Gulf of Mexico to its south with Vermilion Bay to its north...
.