Black Lake Bayou is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data
The National Map
, accessed June 3, 2011 waterway in

northwest The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A '' compass rose'' is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west— ...

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

, United States, that extends from north of Gibsland and travels south to Clarence. The watershed covers much of northwest Louisiana. The

bayou In usage in the Southern United States, a bayou () is a body of water typically found in a flat, low-lying area. It may refer to an extremely slow-moving stream, river (often with a poorly defined shoreline), marshy lake, wetland, or creek. They ...

meanders its way through Claiborne, Webster, Bienville, Red River and Natchitoches parishes. Black Lake Bayou empties into Black Lake, which drains to

Saline Bayou Kisatchie National Forest, the only National forest in Louisiana, United States, is located in the forested piney hills and hardwood bottoms of seven central and northern parishes. It is part of the Cenozoic uplands (some of Louisiana's oldest ...

, a tributary of the Red River. Black Lake Bayou runs near the towns of

Minden Minden () is a middle-sized town in the very north-east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, the largest town in population between Bielefeld and Hanover. It is the capital of the district () of Minden-Lübbecke, situated in the cultural region ...

, Dubberly, Fryeburg, Gibsland,

Mount Lebanon Mount Lebanon (, ; , ; ) is a mountain range in Lebanon. It is about long and averages above in elevation, with its peak at . The range provides a typical alpine climate year-round. Mount Lebanon is well-known for its snow-covered mountains, ...

, Jamestown, Castor,

Martin Martin may refer to: Places Antarctica * Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land * Port Martin, Adelie Land * Point Martin, South Orkney Islands Europe * Martin, Croatia, a village * Martin, Slovakia, a city * Martín del Río, Aragón, Spain * M ...

, and Ashland. Kepler Lake is also a part of the Black Lake Bayou watershed. Black Lake Bayou runs underneath Louisiana Highways 154, 156, 531, 792, 4, 507, and 155.

Landscape

The bayou is choked by trees—bridge overpasses are the only places where the bayou is easily accessed and usually where people fish. There is a crude boat launch at Nix Crossing, which is 2–3 miles north of Castor and 3–4 miles south of Jamestown. Nix Crossing is one of the widest and deepest parts of Black Lake Bayou. The

Kansas City Southern Railroad The Kansas City Southern Railway Company is an American Class I railroad. Founded in 1887, it operated in 10 Midwestern United States, Midwestern and Southeastern United States, Southeastern U.S. states: Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Ark ...

had a bridge that crossed Black Lake Bayou at Nix Crossing until the rails to trails program deconstructed it—the pilings still stand in the water.Louisiana Trails – Enjoy the Landscape
/ref> There are and have been two well built boat launches in Red River parish since the mid 1970s. The north most is called the 'Moody Stretch' boat launch and the southernmost, only a few miles away, is called the 'Cannon Place' boat launch. Both are clearly visible using Google Earth. These two areas were built using parish and state funding in the mid 1970s. In addition to the boat launch there was also an area of approximately one acre cleared and fenced with sheds, barbecue grills, and latrines. Many people used these two areas for years. But by the mid 1990s the sheds, grills, and latrines were destroyed mostly due to vandalism. However, to this day the boat launches are still very usable.

Geo-coordinates

Latitude = 30.8585, Longitude = -92.2592 Lat = 30 degrees, 51.5 minutes North Long = 92 degrees, 15.6 minutes West

References

{{authority control Rivers of Louisiana Tributaries of the Red River of the South Rivers of Claiborne Parish, Louisiana Rivers of Webster Parish, Louisiana Rivers of Bienville Parish, Louisiana Rivers of Red River Parish, Louisiana Rivers of Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana