The Spanish Lake Basin is an ancient backwater swamp of the Mississippi River that extends through East Baton Rouge, Ascension, and lberville parishes. For thousands of years, the Basin has given life to a rich diversity of plants and animals and to families who still hunt, fish, farm, boat, and hike in the scenic beauty of this wilderness. However, in the past few centuries humans have negatively impacted this ecosystem's health. Efforts to restore and maintain the health of the Spanish Lake Basin have been led by citizens working together. Motivated by a desire to preserve their culture and heritage, local people have demonstrated the power of a united voice. It is today's students who will one day inherit and take responsibility for Alligator Bayou and the Spanish Lake Basin. Care for the Basin and the subsequent protection of it will be fostered by students understanding the tremendous resource they have in their backyard. With this guide, students in the Spanish Lake Basin will come to understand and appreciate the importance of protecting this precious ecosystem.

Spanish Lake Basin

Spanish Lake Basin is a watershed located just south of the Greater Baton Rouge area. This 17,000 acre basin drains three Southeast Louisiana parishes: East Baton Rouge, Iberville, and Ascension. Spanish Lake Basin, in turn, drains into the Lake Pontchartrain Basin (a 4700-mi estuary flowing into the Gulf of Mexico) via Bayou Manchac, the Amite River, and Lake Maurepas. Features of particular interest in Spanish Lake Basin include Bluff Swamp, an ancient backwater swamp of the Mississippi River, and two waterways, Bayou Manchac and Alligator Bayou. Because of their rural connection to the Mississippi River and Lake Maurepas, these two bayous played a pivotal role in the history of the basin.

In addition to the Spanish Lake Basin's historical importance, the basin is ecologically significant because it's a wetland habitat. In Southeast Louisiana, including Spanish Lake Basin, wetlands provide vital functions and values for the area's people and wildlife.

The Call Of The Wild

Throughout the centuries, French, Spanish, Cajun, Canary Islander, African, and other cultures settled in the Spanish Lake Basin. The rich biodiversity and dynamic hydrology of the Basin led to a unique way of life for people migrating to the area. Uniting this multicultural society was their sense of history and identity, so it was with great concern that families living on the ridge of Spanish Lake Basin began to witness the negative effects of sprawling commercial and residential growth. One of the worst incidences was the felling of giant cypress trees at the turn of the 20th century. These trees were among the oldest and largest in the world. Beside feeding and sheltering wildlife, they absorbed rain, prevented erosion, and were revered for their age and beauty.

A Citizen Coalition Saves The Swamp

Upon learning of the return of timber cutters to the basin in the early 1990s, Frank Bonifay and Jim Ragland, business partners and residents of Bluff Swamp, united area residents to protest the proposed deforestation. Working with other concerned citizens, the men contacted neighboring landowners who planned to sell their swamp acreage to the timber companies. Sales were already in progress, and the timber companies began clear

With their life's work defined, Frank and Jim established a private ecotourism business to educate people on swamp ecology. They also purchased the entrance to Alligator Bayou, 60 adjacent acres obtained too late to prevent its clear

Alligator Bayou Tours opened in May 1997 with fanfare and celebration. Today, the company's covered tour boat ushers local and international visitors into the "wildest" area of the region. The only swamp tour near Baton Rouge, Alligator Bayou Tours is an economic asset to the tri

The work to preserve this important area has just begun. The restoration and preservation of Bluff Swamp has required the courage and tenacity of many people committed to BSWR and Alligator Bayou Tours' mission. This mission is to educate local citizens, school children, and visitors about the wetlands and the cultural history of the Spanish Lake Basin. With the support of local residents, the Louisiana Sea Grant College Program, and the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation, these efforts will continue to be successful.