Atchafalaya River

The Atchafalaya River is a major distributary of the Mississippi River in Louisiana, flowing south through the Atchafalaya Basin to the Gulf of Mexico.

Old River Control Structure: A system of dams and spillways in Louisiana that regulates water and sediment flowing from the Mississippi River into the Atchafalaya River. It limits how much Mississippi River water can shift into the Atchafalaya.
Atchafalaya River basin: The watershed and floodplain drained by the Atchafalaya River in Louisiana. The river is the basin's main channel, while the basin includes its broader drainage landscape.
Atchafalaya National Heritage Area: A federally designated heritage area encompassing communities and landscapes in south-central Louisiana. It recognizes the cultural and natural landscapes connected to the river and basin.
Coastal erosion in Louisiana: The loss of Louisiana's coastal land through waves, subsidence, storms, and reduced sediment supply. The river's sediment delivery can help offset land loss near its outlet.
Mississippi River: A major North American river that flows from Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico. The Atchafalaya branches from the Mississippi near the Old River Control Structure.
Atchafalaya River Diversion: The natural and engineered transfer of Mississippi River water into the Atchafalaya River. This flow connection made the Atchafalaya a potential alternative route for the Mississippi.
Atchafalaya National Wildlife Refuge: A protected wildlife area within the Atchafalaya Basin in Louisiana. It conserves habitat in the river's floodplain.
Land building: The formation or expansion of land as deposited sediment accumulates above water. Atchafalaya sediment contributes to land formation along the Louisiana coast.
Atchafalaya Basin: A large Louisiana floodplain and wetland system drained by the Atchafalaya River. Its floodplain shapes the river's course and seasonal inundation.
Atchafalaya River navigation: Commercial and recreational vessel travel along the Atchafalaya River and its connected waterways. Navigation projects helped turn the river into a managed transportation corridor.

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