| Bayou Bartholomew | |
|---|---|
 Bayou Bartholomew nearPine Bluff, Arkansas | |
 Bayou Bartholomew | |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| States | |
| Counties | |
| Parishes | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • coordinates | 34°17′01″N92°10′11″W / 34.28361°N 92.16972°W /34.28361; -92.16972 |
| Mouth | Ouachita River |
• coordinates | 32°43′22″N92°03′50″W / 32.7228°N 92.0639°W /32.7228; -92.0639 |
| Length | 364 miles (586 km) |
Bayou Bartholomew is the longestbayou in the world,[1] meandering approximately 364 miles (586 km) in the U.S. states ofArkansas andLouisiana.[2]
It starts northwest of the city ofPine Bluff, Arkansas, in the Hardin community, winds through parts ofJefferson,Lincoln,Desha,Drew,Chicot, andAshley counties in Arkansas, andMorehouse Parish, Louisiana, and eventually enters theOuachita River after passing the northernmost tip ofOuachita Parish, nearSterlington, Louisiana. The bayou serves as the primary border separating theArkansas Delta from theArkansas Timberlands.
It contains over 100 aquatic species making it the second most diverse stream inNorth America. Known for its excellentbream,catfish, andcrappie fishing, portions of the bayou are considered some of the best kept secrets of Arkansas anglers. AtBeekman, Louisiana, the bayou has a mean annual discharge of 1,985 cubic feet per second.[3]
The present bayou bed was formed by the waters of theArkansas River during a period when it was constantly changing courses. Approximately 1,800 to 2,200 years ago, the river diverted from the present area of the bayou, and the leisurely bayou began to develop in the old river bed. Prior to construction of railroad lines in the area in the late 19th century, it was the most important stream for transportation in the interior Delta.Dr. Charles McDermott and his brother from the Bayou Sara in Louisiana developed a plantation on the site in 1844.[4] The bayou allowed the development of one of the richest timber and agricultural industries in the Delta area.
TheJohn P. Fisher House (or Moats House) was once a plantation worked by enslaved black people, located alongside the shores of Bayou Bartholomew.[5]
Once a pristine stream, it is now polluted, log-jammed, and over-sedimented in certain sections. In 1995, Curtis Merrell ofMonticello inDrew County organized the Bayou Bartholomew Alliance to "restore and preserve the natural beauty" of the bayou.[citation needed] With help from the Alliance, many government organizations (such as theArkansas Game and Fish Commission, Arkansas Soil and Water Conservation Commission, Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality, USDANatural Resources Conservation Service,Environmental Protection Agency,U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service),Ducks Unlimited, and the public, the bayou may eventually reclaim some of its grandeur. Projects underway include monitoring water quality,planting trees for buffer zones, restoring riparian sites ruined by clear-cutting, trash removal, removing log jams, bank stabilization, building boat ramps, and encouragingno-till farming.[citation needed]
Media related toBayou Bartholomew at Wikimedia Commons
