GEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION

.OF THE
lOWER MERMENTAU RIVER BASIN
AND
ADJACENT AREAS IN COASTAL LOUISIANA
by
HAROLD N. FISK. CONSULTANT
c 0 p y
CORPS OF ENGINEERS, U. S. ARMY.
OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
MISSISSIPPI RIVER COMMISSION
VICKSBURG, MISSISSIP_PI
4 D D R ~ REI'l Y TO:
.r PRESiDENT. MISSISSIPPI RIVER COMMISSION
CORPS OF ENGINEERS. U. S. ARMY
P. 0. BOX so.
VICKSBURG. MISSISSIPPI 27 January 1948
REFER TO FILE NO.
Hajor General R. ~ \ Crawford, President
Hississippi River Commission
Vicksburg, Hississippi
Dear General Crawford:
Enclosed herevrith are tvro copies of the report "Geological In-
vestigation of the Lower Hermentau River Basin and Adjacent Areas
in Coastal Louisiana.
11
This report was mimeographed by the. NeiT Orleans District from
stencils prepared in this office. Plates for the report were set up
in this office and were reduced and printed by New Orleans District
personnel who also aided in the final preparation of several of them.
An additional mimeogra!)hed copy is being sent directly to the
Soils Division, vlaterwa.ys Experiment Station for their use on cur-
rent projects.
cc: !fr. \'[. J. Turnbull,
Soils Division, W.E.S.
VerJ truly yours,
/S/ H. N. Fisk
H. N. Fisk
Consultant
.....
(
Department of the Army
Corps of Engineers
Gillli'GICAL
OF 'YrlE.
LO:'JER 1E\JTAIJ liVER. 3A3PJ
AifD
ADJ ACE"JT A:.1..EA0 r:.r COA3 i'AL LOUISI /.:'JA
Conducted for
The President
2.iississippi River Cora."lli&sion
Vicksburg, Mississippi
by
H. FISK, Ph.D.
Professor of Geology
Louisis'1a State University
Consultant
3aton l-ouisiana
22 January 1948
SUSJECT:. Geologir:al Invtstig:itior1 of the Lower I.rerdentau Basin and
J..djacent .'..rea:J in Coc.istal Louisiana
'ID: The Pre0id2r:t, Hussissippi }j_ ver Cormnission, Vicksburg,
"Mississippi
Sub.tni tted here\!i th is report :tGeological Investigation
of the Lm:er Mermentau and Adjacent Areas .in Louisiana."
Louisiana State University
Baton Louisiana
22 1948
Very truly yours,
H.lllOLD FISK
Prof .ass,)r of Geology
Consultartt
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Tri3L: OF
INTHOIJUCTION
Sec pe c , ._
Authorization ,,,,!, ............. .. _ .. .-.
Pur_!)<) s e , , , ' , , , , - , ; .
Source of Data ,., ,,.; .... !,! .
Future Suppl3l!le 1ts to 'nrls Ir1vestigaticn .
:rsor!11.el ; -. -
?AHT I - Gf:"ffittAL GEOLUGY OF LOUISIA.'JA
I 'J TH.ODUC'11 ON
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Jn.ture Grovv-t:1 o.!:' the Sho;-elands
a.. f1eposi tj_onal and Activity at the
Shor.: line in the: Coast =1l
L'el taic .. .... ..
}farginal Deltaic Plain of Coastal :,:arsh1ands _.
of Gulf (argin .
Deltaic SedimentR.t:i.on ... "
Cu2.f Co::.st Geosyncline . ... ,
a. La.ndwa.rd Uplift ( 'Nith
Subside:ice in the Gulf Coast .....
b. F'rac:.urins .:..s2ociate1l with Tilting .
of lleistocene ( Gln.cia1) in
Se.:J. I..:evel ;
a. Cyc1es vf and Alluvi0tion
t. Incre,::se in Hate. of :Jeltaic
Subsidence, ann Inl:::::l T_Tp]_.;_ft Luring thB
Pluistoce!1e E1x'cn ,
c. e.ni Oxido::..tic;.H cf SeJin:en ts During
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Glacial Stages...... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Ir1 t<roduc tion ... ...........
rt ......,lief ................................................. .
Drainage , ... . -: .... -. <
a. Calcu.sieu R.i ver Dr.',.ina:e .
b. River DrJ.ina.::;e .
c. Vermilion R.:i ver Dr.:.inac::.: . o o
Upl.:"l.nd Ar:-::a; Prairie Ter::. .. :tce . 0
a. Tc1rD.ce Sl8pe .........
b. Prairi-a Su.rface; ;. Late Pleistocene
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Del Fldn................................. 10
'.:.Jdt::rn . . . . . . .. 11
2) . .
. ,;nclent 3el t and
Co'1trol of ',bd2rn .. , 11
a
P''agraph
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CtJ:.tstal 11:-irshJands ..... -.. ,
a. .... ...........
1-J. Sf..:ac11cS . .
c. 1tiuJ Flats a1d Recently Aba.'1tloned 3cn.ches
tl. Ch'"3rlicres
(1) c:wniere
(2) Central System .
(3) Edst.::rn Ch'"micre Systen.;
.... .
(1) of La.kes . , ...
..l. . -. -
Str0:--utlS,
g.
(2) Stre3.l-no in of Se-:tleme:1t
( 3) :ji version of by Grm'ith of Lakes
( 4) T.icb.l Ch<'rmels at Pa.,sseE: ,
C'outinent::.l S!-.1-elf. e e e e _e e e e e I e t e I I "
Sin/. TIGRAPHY
General
l:.:ccnt
::o::sideratio::s .
De_?Jsi ts .. .
a. !!:nvirou:::ents of uepc:si tion ....
b. Lej)Osi.ts .
c. ?rcsh md 3r3.ckish (3:"1lt) W<::.ter 1farsh Deposits
ti. Lake .::?..r1d Bay -
c. Gulf Bvttom ... -.
(1) l.lirl Fl'1[, DtfYJSits
(2) BJttorn ...
. f. 1Jr:.:.a;,j}1 D(;i_)ositG -:
('1) Structure o.f 3..;c;ch J,:;;::J3it3 . : .
( 2) Structu:-e of Ch8n:_c.:r:; ts
::k: p:: sits; Pr\:.C.rie .-Jn .
3.. Ri vt::r Fleistt)C ,;r.c ts .
b. s.:Iissis.Jippi Iii ver ?lei:.-t,:;:;,_:ne D.;posi ts
c. : md =:;r:-tckist ','!E.tcr Dt:posi ts
d. Erosional Irrec:lirJiti.3S in Fl.3istocene
STRUCTURE
Con.sict.__ratio;_s . C'
firsh3 of Do1'.rnw;'!.rpi.r1g ,
F:tultin,,: ............ .. ,
S.:;..lt .............................
ncre_l
Cor::;i -
Initi?..l cf rrairie Plnn (Peorian
or 'l. St""'P) .
...L .. \...1'1,... , :--r .... - ...... {J.f:.,
PrC1irie- :U ver Cone ( .St.".ndinr' .:;e.::t l-V21 of Feorian
Int
"rrl '"'ci 1 t ::r") -
"" "... -1. J c .. t:_t.;
b
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Para.v.raph
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of Lhe Verr.ulion oL the Prc:irie
., :! . - . . .
.. l.SSlSSlrH)l . . .
... J. ' r
Tcrrebonne Jr:l t:l of th0 Frairie Itiirer
Entren<:!l1llh::tt t of Streams (Lat'0 Fel.''iod Lowering
.of Sc.:a LeVe-l) .. ..... -,,., .... ... ... .-
. 28
:Listory Dev\,;lopmt:mt During T:i;Je _of Stand-
irig Sc:a ,,. , .. . 29
3.. Initial Shor . .:::liae ; , , , , .. 29
b. Ini ..-rth_ of i.:arsnlunds .. -. . 30
c. of the 3;;a................. 30
d. f'rcsent Chor,:;line Dcvclopr .. ent. 30
e. of l.Iarshl.r:.rldS racst of Calcasieu
.R.:i Vt:!l' . . ,. . . . - Jl
f. .. 31
P&I'l' II GBJLOGY OF LC'CK CO?n'r'OL S'::FVJCTUiill SI T2S
IliPRC/J!;lillJT A.RL\.S
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Introcluctic)n . . ..... .................................
ill VGr Si t;.;s
a. Catfish Control Structura Site .
( 1) .. .........
( 2) Buried Pr:llrie S1.trf;.12e
( 3) Foun'l'ltion ,:.,nd Sc::-..:p-:: . .:;e So1,ii tions
b. Little Ch<:ni.::>r<2 Co:1tr()l Sit.:.: .
(1)
( 2) Fmmdt'.tl0.n c:ml SJep..-:.f\J Go!1di ticns .
c, Sit:j 2 ... ......... .
( l) ...... .. -....................
(2) ?u1ied Plei:.Jtocc:1:-'
(3) F...._ .)._nrlr=ttion C!oy1dit_:_, _ ....... ,
d . Gr,nd Ch8;1iGrE.: Loc:.;: CJJl'i =:or:trol .:Structu.:re Site
(1) ........................
(2) O!'::.gl:1 of R.,.:c .:::1t Clti'-,:..;i ts ..
(3) Jrizin o.f Bt:.ri<.!d L.'?.yer
(4) BuriGd Flei3tocon0 ........
Foillldation and Conditions ..
Schoon...::r S.:.wou Control Structure .Si t0 . , .
a. ........... .............
b. pJ.;;i.: .. toc0n8 DlJpocits .... ..... ...............
c. Juri.,;d PL;istuCt.;fl0 Surfac:; at Contrvl Structure
Sit o. .......................................... .
d, ant SL:c:p..:.,s8 Co!ldi c,j_o1!S ;
Cit:::.nnl;l Jr:1provi: m..::nt Sites .. .........
3.. lo;:errrr-.:ntau !liv:.:r Cha.nn-:;1 I,:q
(1) Natt1r0 o.f :-::v:.:r .
( 2) AccrJtiou Its Cha.m0l
3) P.d0fs Along iii vcr
(4) in C!-;::.L'.!'L;J_,
Ch:mn,;l Imp:rov: Ar0ac; Along
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a. Cr?.ni L!tk_' to Lr:ke SrJction 1
( 1) Nu.t11r,; of Sedim:;nts .. .
( 2) Form.r:.tion . _ 1
b. Kh2_ to La1:e fo V::: rmilion Bay Section ............. .
( 1) Shallow Buried D<!Fosi ts 1
.. . ,,. , . .. . .

.;
ILLlTSTRATIUt'JS


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Title
. J:;'ollowin!! Par:e
--.-
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bcr-r'r ............ ... ..... . . 10
2 !1. ?6rtion of En.ckb.-.;rry Hid2 with Well Defined
.:{-.;d f!.iv,_;r Ch:-nh'18l Scars of .. . . 11
3 Jccl\.:D, West of .. -:::.meron, Louisi::t.'1a , 12
4 View Scc:.ch, of Holly B,;,.,_ch. . .; 12
5 . Grove Rirl.g;:; c:-F:r:ieru t:.nd the Proposed Grand Chenia::e .
Lock .c11d Co:-(Lrol 3truc tl.lre Site. . . . . . . 14
6 Vievr of tL.e. :a.iver Below Lake........... -32
7 .S:::!hconcr Bayou Control Struc tur,J Site. 37
Title
1 Location Map
2 Physic:f:r ::.phic F-,:e.tur.:s of Loui3iana
3 Plvck Cf Littl0
4 . C-.:n'-:.raliz2d Str:ltlzr;.:.phic -
D3posits
5 fi,..;:Lmcl Cross S:;cti ')!ls-:=?.cc\nt PJ D:posi ts.
6 .Scctiorts of Holly .0en.ch and Vici!l.ity
7 Cr'JSS Secti:Jns of Lit tl:-; Ch\,..nit..:r'-3 Perduo a..!d
Oak Grov,;; .Ridge
8 Contours Showing Lat.3 Pleistocene
Vallf:::y.s-Southr:estcrn Louisiana
9 :md Contours-Prairie
Loc rt tion t>f -:1 Cross Sections
10 Fr'2.cture Pattern :;.nd Cil Fields-Sou.th.wc:.:::t>::rn Louisiana
11 Late and of
Soutr . .;rn Louisiana
12 Su'Js-:JrfJ.8e Co:1t..::;1rs Oll Top of 0:xi iiz.:;d
T!..: rosi to-\'i cini ty of Gr:=md Louisi.'l.na
13 Cros3 Secti:)ns lJ-D' ::nd E-S -V::.ci:--ti ty or Chenicre,

14 Cross S2..;tions F-F' ::.!10. G-G' -VL::inlty of Gx::md Chcnier8:,
LcuisiMa
d
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Title
Su .. curfac-:i c,:mtour.J T:::>p of Oxidized Pleistocene
I.Jeposi ts...;_Cfltfish Foint Gontr.:Jl Struct.1re Site
Cr:>ss_3ccticins A-A' and 3-B'-Cu.tfish Point.Co:1trol
Structure Site
.Sub:.mrface Contours :;nd Cross Section Sho't'rinc Top of
O::icl:Lzed Plei3tocene Deposits-Litt;le
CuEtrol Structure Site
Snbsu.rfE-ce Contours and Cross Section Sh Top of
Ox..id.L .. ed Deposits-Grand c:1enicre Site :To. 2
Subsur.fe:..c::. Cout)urs and. C1o3s Shovd.ng Top of
O:::i.dize,..JL Plei3tocen; Chcniere Control
struGture Site
Cross Se::!tiO!'lS 3-3' anri c-c f -Grarld Chen5 .. er;} C;)ntro1
Str'lcture Site
Contours on Top of O::ddized Pleistocene
Jepo:::its-Vicinity of Schooner 3ayou lock
Cross Sec+,ions A-A
1
e:.:1d 3-S'-\ficinity of
Cross Sections C-C' and D-D'-,!icinity of ScLooner Bayou
Subsur l'ace Co.r.tours on Top of Pleistocene
Dep::>si ts-Schooner 3:.you Control St . .r-ucture Site
Cross S-E' -Schooner Ba'rou Control Site
Cross Ject.ion A-A
1
-3etvm(;n Grand Lake .:md Lake
GEOlLGIC-iL
OF THE
Wl.'ER hi VEil. BASIN
0JD
. A?..EAS IN GOASTAL LOUISIANA
IN'BODUCTION
1. Scope. This r..;port is eli vided into two parts" Part I rresents
a general study of the surface and subsurfi.ice geo+.ogy of the lower
tau Riv.;r Bc. ....::.in and adjacent coastal r::arshlCt.nd areas in southwest Louisiana.
Th0 area investigated is shown on pL:.tc 1 and includes that portion of
southwest Louisiana Hhich ext.:;;uds from the western edge of the Mis:.:issippi
Alluvial Valley to the Sabine River and 13l1C:s lyinG south of the lati-
tude of 2nd D\)Q\llncy. of Ll':is section, most cunsid-
eratien W3.S given to th . ..; b2lt cf co.qstal ;,,a.r3hlc::nds '.;}ich me.ke up the
south half of the :trct:. II r;resents the r2:.>ults of ;nore detailti!d
investigations of areas wh3re lock control structure sites and
chmnel improvements are proposed. Fcur prop.Jsed lock n...'ld control structure
sites along the r"I,.r::enUm Riv;.;:- ;,'ere i:1vcstigHted, as w1.s the Schooner
Ryou coatrol structarc: site. 1:1c.: ch::.nnel improvement areas examined were
the ::,err.1entau rtiv ... r below Graue! cl.'1d the Ltracoastal Wht;;rways be-
tween Gr ... 1d and te bet'.'!een 1!hi te and Vt-:rx.ilion B<:Y
of these .'lreas ar0 also shovm on Jilate 1.
2. lliC y,:J.s by the DL;trict E;lgi-
neer, Nt:'."; Orleans Dir>t,rict w::.s z.:.uthorized 29 July 1947 by
the President, River Co ... m.i.ssion.
3. Purpose. T!!t: pl.i.rpose of the investi?,ation was to determine the
nature, origin, .and distribution of and Pleistocene deposits, the
hi story of development of coastal southwe.st Louisi 'lna, .s.nd to interpret
from these studies the geological coaditions at the lock and con-
trol structure sites, of the area3 of proposed channel improvement.
4. Source of data. studies of the region were based on
photogrc.phs, topographic :1nd pla.11imetric maps, U. S. CoE.st ?..nd Geodetic
Survey H .. ,droeraph sheets, :md topographic an'l surveys of the
iviermentau Hi ver made by the U. S. En ineers. . Subsurface information was
obtained from many sources. Ov 5
1
000 loss of shallor-: borings were made
available by geophysical companies. Thuse borinGs v;er0 mude in closely
groups in scattered arec....s v;i thin the uarshl-..nds. Files of drillers
logs, electrical logs, samples from many deep oil nells throughout
the region were made by the Louisiana Survey. Lo.ss
of many scattered vm.ter W\.:lls wer1:3 obtainGd from the 3aton Rouge office
of the Ground Water Division, U. s. Geolo .. .Survey. and logs
from shallow borings raade ;,long highw:::.ys near the CJcasicu River \Jere
1
supplied by the Louisiana Iiiehway Corrunission. The study also utilized
logs and samrles of sever.:ll hundred n:ade in marshlands by the
Orleans r:ngineer District and the ;'laterwaJS 2xperiment Station. In
addition, approximately 100 shallow borings were made the Orleans
Engineer District. for the express purrose of correlating scattered infor-
mation gained frc'm other sources and to supply materi:tls necessary for
the lithological and rillalyses herein. Field
examinations of topogr3.phic features <uld. of the sediments along the Cal-
c.:-tsieu :illd Mermentau Rivers and along the Intracoastal Ylaterways W3re made
during the course of the investieation.
5. Future supolem.:nts to this investigation. frJri!1gs are being
made to give infonaation for completing the study of t.he.geol.;..
oey of the C::1lca.sieu Hi ver channel im_orcvement area which falls within
the area under general investigation. vr.ill be made in the central
part of the coast.:U marshland s::mtil of te ;.-,.nd 8rc:.nd Lakes, an area
nhere there is a lack 0f subsur.f.:..ce for the present.
report. W.'1en these borings are completed suppl:'ments to this report will
be presented.
6. Personnel. The investi['c.tjon ,ias by tl.e
staff of the Experim<::nt R. J. P. R. 1.1abrey,
R. L. Oakes, A. Osanik, W. D. Jr., gcolo8ists; Miss Barbara
Wyatt, draftsma.rq and f,rrs. J. 0. ,Jr. and G. R. clerk-
typists. The proj:;ct was under the general su_:)erv u.:ion of the consul-
tant under the imr:1edi.::.te su;Jervision of 3 . ,J. Ie3lanc. Final draft-
ing of many of the plates was d.:;.ne by ;:he Orleans En:in:;er District.,
PAnT I
I:JTR.ODUGTIOn
7. Gener!il consider.'ltions. Coastal SO'!thr;estern touisiana forms a
part of an extensive. lowlx1d borders the lrulf and extends
inland to an average vd.dth of o':er 200 miles. lov:land region is
formed of many u:1its v.rhich, are called the
Gulf Coastal Flain. T'ne j)crt of the Cc-:1.st.:1l Fl:::.in is everyv;here
comprised of a series of step-like, sea.m.r:l-til te:i, co.'lstwise ter-
races, and a near sea. level belt of eoa.:;-:::al !::J.rshlE:.n'lS of greatest vlidth
in Louisia'lat The surfaces of the tilted terraee in the Louisiana-
Texas-Mississippi region have traces of ancient co,.lrses and distributaries
of the Gulf Coast rivers, which ::,imt they were :)[ice "deltaic
plain" areas similar to the rr,odern coastal rJarshlands of Louisiana,
Various parts of the Gulf Plain rcgj on h:;.ve bE!en intensively .
studied :md the m::t.jor fc:![!.tures of its gP-vlogical development are knovm.
It has been definitely shown that a gradual seaward uuilding of the land
has been brougLt ahout by the deposition of enornous masses of deltaic
sediment around the mcuths of rivers, and that the coastal r.,argin h:ts
2
been subsiding v;hile the sediment acctunula.ted. As a result, both ttdo""n-
buildine" and "outbuilding" have occurred as contemporaneous processes.
It has also been that while "down:-,uilding" has progr.;ssed,
a inland uplift taken :::lace so the entire region now
tilted seaward. These ;-rocesses, t:rhir;h ho.ve c0ntinued for great lengths
of time, were acceleratedduri:1g the or Glacial epoch when
cyclical fluctuations in sea level directly influenced depositional :m.d
erosional activity of Because t:.1e;r are essential to an under-
standing of the interpretation of the of coastal so
Louisiana contained herein, these several main concepts at Gulf Coastal
Plain development are presented with brief descriptions in succeeding

8. Nature g:-ov:th of ti1e LouisiC'l.na shorelands . The near sea
level lmds bordering the Louisiano. s:1cre 2.re: some of the must recently
constructed portions of the North cc...ntinent. In the past few
thousand years of l!J.te Recent time the coastal lands have been
extended seawo.rd over 100 rriles in tlle lati tvd0 of ]ew Orleans, and for
more than 15 miles in Louisi<'na. These :::horelands include the
great delta system of the l.:ississippi River c . .nd the vm.ter bodies
which mark the mouths of the .:ermentau 3.nd Vermilion
Rivers. They also include 1.1.rge 1 .. ;:1rginal shallmr bodies which
mark encroachments cf the sea, sh.:tllow inl.:.md. r;ater bodies which con-
tain fresh and brackish water. In genera:!., all water bodies are now
actively enlarging by wave attaek ar.d they !)rovide evidence of a gradual
loss of land v,ri thin ti1e :.-tarshlands v:hich has continued ttroughout the
period when progradatior1 of. the shore has been the dominant r:rocess.
a. Depositional Dnd at the shoreline in the
coastal m:-1rshlanr1s. The }.lississippi 1tiver is actively contributing fine
sand, silt an.ci clay in sufficient to causa an advmce of
its _r:asses, :.mt at no other pl3.ce 1.long the shcre is seaward
:.,uildiug progr . .:ssint; at such a rapid rate. The minor streams in south-
west Louisiana all drop their coarse load inland 3.t ti:e head of estu-
arine bodies :11d contribute only fine silts :.;,d cl.:t7S to the tidal
mud flats at the shore. The muds

so slowly that only a very

slow local seaward growth of the l:md is appa.rent aro'.l!1d the tidal. ')asses
marking the mouths of the rivers. 3etween n:ouths of the streams in
southwest Louisinna are beach deposits of shell detritus and coarse
sediments which rr.:J.rk a retreat of the shore has been under wave
attack for extended sediments derived from vfave attack
of the marshes in part been deposited on the Gulf bottom in shallow
offshore waters and in part have been carried laterG.lly by marine cur-
rents and laid down on the mud flats lyi:1g r.lose to the r:.ouths of streams.
Coastal area lost by erosion appears to be compe:1sated for by
area gained through deposition it is difficult to establish either an
over-all adV3.o."1Ce or reces3ion of the prese.1t shor!3 in the .:arshlands of
coastal southv1estern Louisi<.:.na. The outgrovr h of the 15-mile-wide belt
of coastal marshlands therefore ap1 >ears to ;1ave been largely accomplished
_prior to historic time.
9.. Mississippi deltaic plc.in. The widest part of the coastal
marshlands, southeast c.nd southwest of NeVI Orleans, holds many tr3.ces of
abandoned courses and distributary courses of the Mississippi R:. ver>.
The principal areas holding V:ese. old lie to t!1e east
21
Bernard ParisrJJ and to th.a west 1.n Terre 'Jenne Lafo,lrche
It is obvious from theraultitude of old river courses in these areas that
the Llississippi shifted its position ;nnny titles in the few thousB:nd years
while these marshlands were forming. Because the entire surface appears
.to have been formed by the sedimentation associated with of .
deltas, the region !1as been referred to as a "deltaic in contra-
distinction to marine plains generally found along coastlines.
10. l\ . .larginal del t::.ic plain of coJstal marshlands. The coastal marsh
l.:mds in southwest Louisi 1.na are .'-aue up only in .small part by deposits
of the Sabine, CG.lcasieu, iLermentau und Vermilion Rive1 .. s. There is no
evidence of the development of distributaries of any of these streams nor
do they show other indications of r.:-q_'i -1 sedimentation such a3 is Ct.sso-
ciated \vi th the Mississippi. From the- distriuution of marshlr.nd features
it is clear that the region \'ms l[ rg;ely formed by 1lississippi River sedi-
ments distributed to the m.::rinc c:.trrents at a time Hhen the
Vdssissippi River was c0nstructing a hut.;e delta in Terre-
bonne Parish. The coastal rnarshlands ::.re theref0re considered herein to
be the marginal deltaic pl:1in of the River.
ll. Subsidence of Gulf 1.1argin. Det:1ileci studies in different parts
of the coastal region hav0 shov:n .that the r . odern deltaic plain has .been.
subsiding while it has l:h>.:m fr.1rmil1g. In the re,;ion of thE- active passes
of the Eississippi Iliver. tr:ere is ev.tqenc.e that subsidence is taking
plcce o.t the rnte of 20 lnches ;:-..:.'r c:enturJ-/. llecent geological time
sr ans approxiuately 25,000 yc.rs and ti1e total amou.r1t of depression of
the coast2l ma.rgin, therefore, could be as much 400 feet. Borings
near the Head. of Passes in the VIississi:-;pi liver delta actually show over
250 feet of subsidence lJeneath the present In the marginal ,)arts
of.the deltaic plain in southwest Louisiane., much less sediment has accu-
mulated during the Recent epoch and has b..:en less subsidence. Phys-
iogrR.phic evidence 3.S to the n.:.'.ture of subsidence in this region has ap-
peared in literatur3.2/ but no figures concerning its. nagnitude were rn:3.de
y' Russell, H. J., pny of Lo-.-;er : ..:ississippi River Delta,
11
Louisiana Department of 8onservation, 3ulletin No. 8,.
pp. 3-199, 1936.
?) Fisk, H. iJ., "Geological Invcstig:1tion of thu Alluvial of the
Lower 1f.ississiFpi :ti V3r," :;.:ississippi River Comr.J.ssion, p. 35, 1944.
2} 'The term "deltaic plaintt first usvd lJy Barton, D. C., "Deltaic
Coastal Plain of 3ulletin Geol. Soc. Amer., Vol. 41, pp. 359-
382, 1930.
Russell, R. J., op, cit.,pp. 3-199.
2/ Howe, H. V., Russell, R. J., illld i.icGuirt, J. H., "Physiogr:1phy of Coastal
Soathwest Louisi[!l13.
11
in Geology of Cw:10ron Vermilion Parishes, Louis-
iana Dep2rtment of Guclogical Bulletin ro. 6, pp. 1-68, 1935.
4
available. Borings mc.de at t:1e rresent shoreline for this study show as
much e.s 25 feet of subsidence ne:lr the mouth of the CalcG.sieu ill. ver, and
over 40 fu::t ::oouth of Vt;rmilion Bay on the east. the ap1ount of
subsidence incra,J.ses toward mhin centers of delVri.c sedimentation;_ there
seems to be little doubt that the lo:!.d of accumulating sediments actively
doforms the cc-rth' s crust, and th:1.t while. the is being built
seav:ard, the Gulf margin is being depressed E'!. trrl.ckening deltaic
. mass.
12. Dclt.nc sedim.Jntation. The dcltC!.ic plain of the Mississippi"
River at first t:;lnnce to be mainly ntarshlcilld with fingers of
fluviatile sedir.1erits rrJ.C.rking the r.1odurn and c.ncicnt riYer cour.ses .and
distributc-l.ry chWlneis.- . Upon closer oxf'JJint:tion the nargins of the deltaic
plain are seen to b-3 borcit::r<:::d by be:..ches rmd to b.:; frayed by
extensive. sh::.llow beys, inl-.::ts :: . .nd l:.kes, irhich contain brelckish-marine
water. Inl-:nd fron the co'1.st ,qre fou . .:-1d ;.:.'U1Y fresh wat_er l,!:.kes of various
sizes. d"'::lt:.1 areas art: more. Iith rrnrginc.l lakes cmd
b.-:l.ys th:m formed .011es, !'.nd inl'::.:-:d :md sw:.mps hold frash
wP..ter lakes v:hich h::.ve ere tly <.::!nlr:.rged t:1rO'Jgh wave attack.
of these arc; in d-Lch nr_;,t receiving sediments
from tha rivers .:ud :ire of er,1sional cr but speed of en-
largement is controlled by the r:.te c..t

:;:'.1 t11kes
place. E:'.ch f(:atlJ.rc of th.] pl'.Lt, .lake, b.y, .1arsh, srw.m:-:', or rivE!r
channel rt3presents ?....'1 envircill'l,.nt i:1 wh.ich sudi.:;.,..;nt
e"lch shift of N'lississi Pi Piv . ..;r :..h'..:!"e is .::.n ah;:udorlilent of a complete
distri')utary system on tilt,; deJtr.:.ic r:nd the cre.:-.tion of 2n entirely
new group of .:;nvironraents of de,:;osi The ne:v1 delta s;rstem erows
seaward in shn.llow r >:xiue .. t,...;rs .. to th...:! old delt'1.. As its ."l?:.SS
accumulates it r nd c:ffectivel:r older deposits,
and replaces tte old environnlC;nt vri t.h n;.;"i oi1es. Th.,s, a m::.ss of delt;lic
sediments ;,v:!..y "Je reft;rrt:d to as hr:ving the structur0 of pile of l:eavesY
th the veins of each bc:int; r:nrk-...!J. by ri v:;r ch;,;.nnels, intervenous
areas by the marsh deposits, Y..i th triG irregul:1ri ti':JS aro1md the
l.J.teral margins of leHf b;.;ing f:.llc;d .i th marine bot tom, and
bay bottom deposiLs. T"-e pil..: of le:.ves during long COi1tinu-.:;d
shifting of the ri V..:I' 111outh .:md its is possibl..: by
<::!.cti ve subsidence of the .r,ogion under the lo;-..d. The deltaic
mass of th\J River, as kno..-m froJn s:unples, is :1. ft1e..z.; of inter-
enviroHments I:ith 0Xtrt-!l.tely complex lay.:.;ring extending to
great depth. In thi.:; of Louisi:-:.na
there is nlso found 2.11 irlt.:rfingt:ring of fr . .:;sh and depos-
its, but the region is less c.ctively subsiding th0 o..ccumulations are
more in nnture.
13. Gulf Co2st Geos-v-n:!li;w. D . .;;ltcic sedin .. has been active
in the Gulf Coast reg].on tb.rout3hout mcst (Jf the era, starting
at least as cc:>rly as the he:ginn:i..ng of Lower Cretacl;ous e_I:.och C!.p-
proximC!tely 120,000,000 aGo, Durine this great Lmgth of time,
betwetJn 25,000 "nd f(; .t of s .:dif'1_onts }::: ve hrrvc
Y I"iussell, d. J., :1d :-tt.:ssell, 1. D., "Jitissis.:..;inpi Delt,::-. Sedi-
mentation in Recc!1t A.':ler. Assoc. '}colorists,
p. 173, 1939.
5
deformed th0 e?..rth's crust into a huge downwarping, the Gulf Co,3.st Geo.;.
The J.Xis of this structure parallels. the Gulf shore in south-.
i'wst Louisi'.!lla nnd is found just se.1.ward of :'Jew Orlean.s in southeastern.
Louisian.1.. Its rir.gni tude hcs b0;.;n dutt;rmincd by borings, which :reach
a 111mnm.rn depth of qvcr 15 ;ooo. f,;ct, gcophysic2.l prospecting.
L::mdvra:rd 11Fli.ft ( ti
1
tiug) co:-;t2mpor::>.IH::ous with subsidence
in the Gulf Coast Geosyncline. A complete sequence of str2.ta from uarly
dcposi ts to those; presently forming is 8Xposed in the Gulf
Coastal Plain. The old8st uf these outcrop at the inner margin of
th.:; plain and ha.\rc; b.:.;cn traced in tht: subsurft:.ce by of well samples.
S.11Ilples from the outcrops and from Yrclls that all coastal
plain rocks dovm close to sev. l8vel mainly as deltaic plain
deposits. Studies!! show that each group of deposits has its thickest
porticn just from the :.t(;st of the r:ext older group of
sediments. The:y also show thc:t yoW1g dclto.ic mn.ss..;s whic:h form nec:.r
the present sh reline are th3 thickest ones As a result of tho overlap-
ping of deltaic me.sses, the en tir.:; se;d..int,::mtary Sl.;c-t,ion thickens as a
gigantic wedge tow.q,rd the P.xis . cJf the !',ulf Con.st Geosyncline. Each. epi-
sode of forced tlK portions of tl1c Gulf
Coast:1l Pl;:'..:in to subside, whil'c3 snbsidc:1cc wrts t :king pl:-c-a th,3 l:md-
vmrd portions of the! pl "in 1. :::re In uff .. :ct, tno proG(!Sses he.ve
been ncti ve contcmporant.;O'Jsly, l nd';f.--.;.rci u;;lift seaward subsidence.
nd1-mrd uplift is lsss a'!rl its totrl \jff';:;ct is measured ortly .
in hundreds of f -.; . .;t, v:here:;,s sub::;idcn(.;c: is in thous:mds of feet.
?Tevertheless, it '':ts l:>c:-L1 this t.::.l t-like uplift which continur..lly de-
formed the continent '"'.n!.l h::s ke.t 1:-h:J S(G. from <:.:ncro'1.ching fr:r inlRnd.
3ec::mse th,::; uplift is CO"Jf:.emyorr:n.Jous with :1t the
-.nrgin, it is consid,:..red t:1c-!.t the uplift ::re adjust-
ments to coJ.st<:.l moVG!7k:nts S(;t ur by tl-:e of r:cr:umulatin[ scdi;
1
1 .. ints.
b. F:--acturinr nith tiltinc. Gt;;Ological ;)nd eeo-
physic::.l studit::.:=; shm: th::t the .:;ntire Gulf Pl:-;.in is crossed by
systems of fr::.ctur...;s, gener:1.lly disposed r;ith northe'!.st trends.
systems p::trallel the C0<3t in ,.-_ more nJ2.rly trend,
some faulting is knovm to tr0nd north-south. Surface expression of
fcmlt s;ystcms is found in soils changGs, vcgGt:tion align-
ment of dr.:lin.::lge, ?J1ci in th .. ; nlit:snment of salt dome structures. The
f:.ults, l'lhvr.:::; studied in detcil in petrolifero us clre::.s, show a dcfini te
in th- ;-:.mount of displr.ccnvnt of str-:.t2. depth, :::nd it is
only rarely n f;_;w inches or a i"e1.:r fei::t of displicemt.:nt :lre found
at the surface. The of with depth denotes long con-
tinued growth of thf..; f::.ults v1hile th.:: s mCtSs was ::::.ccwnulating
in the Gulf Coast Q(msynclinc. .10ccus0 of this, :illd because the frn.cturc
systems <lre cligned vr! 4h the I'l<ljot: of the continent,
it has concludect3/ the arises from lines of weakness
at gre:1t depth in th: .... continent..,_! frrunework l'1d mov . ..::mcnt along these lines
been ncti by force:s which c!luse th,J subsidence P .. '1d uplift
ij Fisk, H. :.J., Irvc:..;tigation of the Alluvi.:tl V:.llcy of the
Lorre:r ssissippi ili vc:r," :!ississipni Ri y ..:r Commission, 1944.
?) Fisk, H. ?T._, idem., p. 67.
6
of the Gulf margin. 'These f'1ults h;::.ve bt::,:n active in the const:1.l region
where evidence of. thair moV2!1Wnt is most pronounced near the. inner-
gin of the !:arsh6s.
14. Effects of Flt:.:i stocenc '1) .s i!1 sea level.
a. Cyclt:::s of vro.sior.t :iJ1d strec:m The Pleistoc0ne
or Glaci:ll. epoch covers last l,OOO,GOO of geologic:-:.1 time just
prior to tho:. :?pooh, During Glacial ti;,-,c, clim:::tic fluctuations
the of ice during five distinct stages.
stages of ice were by longer, interglacial
ste:.ges duriug .vhich eli tL:tic ccnditions wc-re simil.r.;.r to those; of the
prcst.:nt During glr..ci1.l stages th0 ice formed in G8nt0rs in the
polar r-:;t::ions of th<:] continents r.nd spr0ad toward equa.torial region.
During e:..ch of glaci?.l st g.:;s the tot:.J. ctrca of thG COr1tinents COVered
by icv r.s great 20,000,000 ;Jil..;s; and the ice reached an
esti:nated thickness of at lcr .:Jt a .r.ri.lc. The ice masses formed
from water withdram from the s-.;<.:, iliJd d'..lri:tg -.:J..ch sea
WC!.s lovr..::red ayproxi:nat . .::ly L
1
CO uceP.lY fncisod
in th0 r.1::.rgins of th.._: contin--nt in ti;:,.;s of lowered seE lev...::l when th0y
cut dovm to r:wct their lmrl\.:red o.:.se Th.:.: cf the Hississippi
River cut during the lat0st gl.::.cial is kn.,)v'lfi to bE.: over 400 feet
deep at the .resent shorcl::.::-:;, 3o11th of HoliDl-:.. interglacial stages
mcltw<!ters returned to s::;C!., -:md. ::::.s til-:.: oceanic ltNel was grn.dually
raisod, streams n.lluv5 ... ,ir v.::.llcy::.... Tht,;s.::; fm;.turcs of vn.lley cut-
ting ::nd valley filling consLi tute .:..)O!n<.; of th.;; most important g.spccts of
the gt:;ology of southv:c;st(;.rn Loui5ian?.,, V:.lleys of t.h-.; rivers .cut in
south\':est Louis1ana during l[tSt g:Lc:ci. "ll 2.r.: kno'.Jn to r:xtcnd over
200 b8low' sea l0VC!} :<.t the: shoreline:. T'r:ey e.rc fill;d vdth R3ccnt
scdiw..;;nts, th upper of r!b.ich consti t :tes th..;_ l'( . .:;ct..nt
b. in of dcl_t:i..._Se:!i.':l.:nt"tion, su:,::;idence, -:nd
u;::lift durL1p V1c fleistoc<:,:lv eLCch. Incre.sed. erosion by streams,
s::a level drop r--ed durint: .slJ.cie.l st:t:Jo, '.!errni t ted de:l taic s2dimenta-
tion to place thG rate in the history of GJlf
d12position. As a r.:::sult, thick wedr:es of sediment at abnor-
n'-3::-tr '::h.; .::dge of the; co:1tinc;ntn.l sh-::lf duri;g th,.:se
periods of lov1ered Sl!c:t levGl, :-:.nd bot"l subsid...;:1cc 11plift wore co-r-
respondingly The southern one-third of :,he; G11.lf Coastal
Plain WJ..s _raised to its .. . .;le::vr:tion during subse!"?uGnt to the.
Pleistocc:ne epoch. This portion of thG plain is the tsrrnin of
broad upliftt:d coe:.stwise t0rrac.; slopa seaward ;md which
ar0 by narrow t::rosion;,;.l b:;l ts .1/ 'TI10 surfaces of th8 step-like
WE::re form ... d :1s Juring interel?...ci<:tl stages when
sc:a wns nt its 1.-:r.}C-.=nt Each deltaic
plain is und;.;rl:::in by a thick sequenc-.: of co<J.rsv to fine Sddi:nents which
bury th;;,; irregularitiC:s 'hich ':f,;re; cut duriug the
gl::ci[!.l stagv.,. Hece:nt m.r:.rshland deposits in th..:; area tL1dt.:r invcstigc.tion
follow this pc..ttern also and bury th.:.: southern part of tht,.; surface of the
1/ The tt;rrc:c,.:!S in are DD.mt=;d Hilliana, Jc,ntl0y, Montgma<}ry,
Wid Prairie:. The ,Jillie.rm. is the oldest, highest cqd the most
affected by vrosion.
7
youngest te:rrace which was eroded and downwarped Li.S the deltaic masses of
the last glacial stage accu;nulated offshore. The escarpments separating
the terraces represent the conlbined effGcts of erosion r-.nd uplift of the
contin..;nt?l me.rgin that took pl'.CC Juring glaciJ.l str.ges. In some places
the escarpraent is m :.rked by low cliifs cut by wave action, but in most
aret1.S there is a poorly defined zone of srosion or, as is the case of the
Prairie terr1ce-rac>.rJhlm1d contact, a. gentle overlap of youngor deposits
on a more stceflY sloping plain.
c. :>nd oxidation 0f stages
gl[l.cial vrhen s:aa levJl dropped 2nd streCJJ:ls cut deep vallevs,.
grow1d w.:lt.:;r ::ithin th0 upoGr p3rt of th.;! tntrzmchcd co2.stal plain .depos-
its ciropned to 9. J.evcl cnd the beds bec.:une oxidized as
meteoric ':m..t::r8 seeped thrc'.lgh th3m. Soluble mr-tt:;rin.ls 1:cre leached from
the b(:;ds by the R.ction of th8se migr:::.ti!1':: ground W[l.ters :..nd tht.J near-
surfc>..c\.3 materir ... ls in ge:ner:tl bec:'.Jn(; altered. The .effects of we.'lthtr-
ing '1.re known to ext0nd to of cv;_;r 30 f ..;-.:::t in mnst pl[;.ces and at
s.::;v..:;ral ties J V\..: fOlmd i!1 s:-:!IipL:s fro:n 100 f.8et below
th0 surfact.:. Oxid2.tion of iron oth..::r suoste.nces in these weathered
soils has gi vr...:n a cho..r:?.ctvristic ... dlo-.-v-brmvn, or y . .:llow color to
th2j:l. As a result of th(.; wo.J.th.-]ring prvcz.:sses, uprer parts o the
terraces [IJ'e fi1'r.1Br L._ss weL.th(.;r ..::d c.nd hc:.ve a much lowdr
porosity th-m w1nl tcre;d s .mples. The ;:ill. t,.:rio.l by ground
W[!.t-vr is ::-;r..;ci,::-it;;.ted ::.t d..:;pth beolow the surface
forms zones vf nodul.:::1' c.:.lciu;n concrvtions. The color and
other ch2.ractcristics of th . .; oxidiz,;d .. nd J ec.chcd PleistocC;ne Prairie
terrtice d-.;posi ts form r.,..;:-ns vf distinguishing b...;twcen them and
the ov...;rlying Rt.!c.ent mcTshlDd .:i.n southvlt.;St Louisic>..na.

15. Introde.ction. Th0 mnin phycio6raphic fvaturvs of coastal south-
west Louisie.naare ___ sh::mn on pl 'l tc 2. Th.::y :nclude the broc:.d submerged
shelf rith its cov:!r of sh.llo:J w1tcrs, thG sea
level coast:..l m-:rshl::.nds, ,::nd thB te;rrr>.c;;d uplnnds which hold trP.ces of
the :1...11cient uplifted plP.ins vf t:-,e Fississippi Only the
southern pc.rt of trh.' tcprr..ced upl.-:.'1d is on this End most of
region shown within tlK tcrr"!.i.n of the. lowe:st terr;.-tcc, the
Pralrie. Howcv.:;r, :1. :)()rtio!'l of tiL: :mtcrop of the Montgomery -::nd
3sntley coc.shlisc turrac<3s is shovm in the northY>J\;Ct of map, pl:-.te
2, ::>.nd presents a gen..:;r!:.l id,;Cl. ::1.s to thv stl"'p-lil<8 of tho terraced
upl:-::.nds. No furth..:;r consid..;r:.ti.on is to b..; given to tho terraces
ful outsidt th(.; t\;rr:'.in ccnsidGr0d in this
16. Rslil;f. Th:(; entire CO:lSt::>.i rB,ion is On\J of extremely
low rt;lief with only n fL:W poi. re:'.ch.-L:1g 10 feet 1.bove sea level, and
v;i th I.!Xtensive onl:: ::tbout '-' foot vi ther th....: sea or the
rithin thv marsh. Th..; Pr?.irie t..::rracr...: which forms
a 1-:.rge pnrt of tht: ;.re-: north c,f the .. l::>..rshland is aln a .littlv
crodud surf;.ct.; \U th .:. L.ss than 10 feet. ThL gre:::test
8
relief is fmmd '.long the wr:.lls of tho;.; :->.lluvi :.1 which have bocn
cut into th\:; terrae..; This rcli.Jf; mc::surcd fr:>m tho swrunpy floor
to th..; Prairie tcrr;;.c-3 a maximum of 20 ft;ct.
17 Dr."'.i.nP.t;'C. The., r.ylin drcin coP.stal southwest
Louisir.na .:..re tho 3:-.bineY, Vermilion, CalcJsieu and ivfermentnu Rivers.
Each of the streCJlls flows throt:.gh e.."Ctensive water bodies before reaching
the Gttlf (see plate 1), giving the coastline an estuarine aspect, although
the lakes are separcted from the sea by short tidal The Sabine
River flows through Sabine Lake, the Calcasieu through Lake,
the Mermentau through Grand Lake, Upper 1iud Lcl<e 2nd Lower Lake, and
the Vermilion River empties into Vermilion Bay. The mr:rshlrrnds between
thc:se r.1njor stren.ms n.re cJ.rcined by a complicated network of bayous fmd
cEm:1.ls which empty either into the main into the Gulf or inlnnd
lake systems, or into other large vd. thin the marshland which connect
with the river systems or ve minor ri.r:t-i_lFle connections directly with
the Gulf.
:1. River The C-:1.1 c.1.sieu River flon through
the low upl2.nds of southern Louisiana in ,n;ener tl soth;'festerly direction
from Oakdale to the of Cnlc;;..sieu Lr.ke, bouth of l.r.ke Charles, from
where it flows southvr:1.rd to the Gulf. It 3, 000 square miles, .
with its princiral tri butn.ries in north md viest of Lake
Charles 211d its shorter on the
low terrace surface. .
b. Mermetlt.:iu River The Mermentau lli ver drainage
basin is tothe 1-rairfe terr;lce and includes an <2rea of
approxi1nn.tely 1,800 square miles between the Calcasieu 'nd Vermilion
llivers. Its _;-:rinci;.:al tributaries are 3ayou L.'lcassine on the viest, Bayou
Nezpique and 3ayou rles Cannes on tile north, P.nd Jaycus Flaquemine 3rule
Queue de Tortue on the north :illd interesting of
the streams in this b:.1sin is that almost all of the smaller ones enter
the principal tri r:i th a flow, more or less pc.rallel
with the tt!erment.:.u Ri vt::r-B;::.you des Cm1nes alignment (see plate 2).
c. Vermilion Rive::: The Vermilion 1iiver drains ap-
proxi;nc.tely 500 SC)U<.:.re rules cf south Louisis.na lying to the south and
e:-J.st of the lJerrnentau drain:1ge. The stream has only a few minor tribu-
tary b..-.yous !'nd is import .... nt mainly :.;.s a drrJ.n=1ge line 'r'Thich once functioned
as a distributary of the Mississippi River nhen the occupied
its Be1you Teche :ne::.tnder bc:l t (see pl te 2). This former
distributary channel crosses the esc.::.rpnent between the Prairie terrace
and the Mississippi Alluvial !:..t 1-'lf:J.yette, is maintained to-
d::.y ns an outlet channel for locc:l dr..,in-:tge in the Valley.
18. Uol::nd .:trea; Prnirie of the uplmd area shown
on plate 2 lies wi.thin the of Pr:Urie terr"-1ce. This sur-
fe.ce is a remarkably fl:.t sloping plcin which is shown on the
Y The s:y.stem of the S::bine River is not considered herein
since it lies gener::lly to the west of the under study.
9
geologic of Texas as co[l.stwi.se Beaumont Pln.in, :-.nd has been mapped
in ;.nd southeastern a.s both the Hnn:nond '"!.nd
cola terrn.cesi/. It is much vader in the south central prtrt of Louisiana.
th:n elsewhere in the Gulf Co ..stnl Plain and be tr[iced northw.:lrd from
its coo.stvri.se elements <.'.S a broad wedge flanking the western, side of the_
1iississippi Alluvi2l Vc.lley as far north as the Hills at
1\ioncla, La. This wedge is ?5 miles wide in. the latitude 0f Lake Charles,
and narrows to c:.pproxima tely 30 miles in the lu.ti tude of Opelousas. To
the north in the }.fe.rksville Hills, it is only 10 miles wide-.
That portion of the terre.ce wedge mapfed on plate 2 shows its_
and western boundaries lie close to the Calcasieu River. The. surface of
the wedge is broken in the north by the broad flood.:>lain of the Red River,
Rnd its eastern boundnry is the escarpmtnt overlooking the Mississippi
Alluvinl V:.lley. This esc::rp:nent can be followed--southward to the viciJ:lity
of Frnnklin v.rhere it disappe2.rS :->.S the Prairie terrace slopes beneath .
the coastal belt. cf t!1e Prairie surface is dotted with
smc_ll earth rnonnds c.r:lled "pimples" wh3.ch rise a few feet 2.'oove the gene-
level (see figv.re 1).
a-. Prr..irie terr:1ce slo: .. e. slope of :__he Pr:urie terr2..ce
surf.1.ce is in n Lo,lisi-:.n'"!.. Alortg .its e:'lstern edge.,
in a north-south .line from the 1t: .. rksville Hills to the :-; rsh line, n.
distance of 90 IPiles, ti1e slope is sf;en to &"".'"!.U'.l':lly increr1se seawtrd.
Between -:1nd Orelous::.s, n. di3trmce of !TO ;,ul'=!s, it a.verP.ges 0.70
feet :'er mile. Betv:een Opelousas :nd t::.e m.arshline i t0 is slightly
more th2.n 1.2 feet per mile. :i'hus it -::ppec:rs the slope increD-ses
tovm.rd the centers of m:.-;dern deltaic sediment::tion to the south &'1d e::;.st.
The terre..ce passes br.;ne:J.th the c,y._st".l rshl mds ".long .:m i:r:-regular
contact line which been shaped \Jy both erosion;.l activity and struc-
tural move:nents. Deep trenches cr..rvc;d in the Pr_'lirie 3urface d.1ring the
le-st gl.:tci'll 2poch ;-:ere subserruently filled vd. th Recent sedi .1ents as
.q result e.re ncY! remnants of the old divides -;-:hich project above
the some clist:.nce south of the m0.in Pr:Qrie terr.;.ce upland.
Good cf such rernnn.nts are :,:o.rceaux Island (l.nd- Pines Ridge
between the ".nd Hi vers' ::.nd sevt:rc.l between the
C:J.lcasieu River Grcmd Lke. Structural mover.Lnts h:1ve uplifted
portions of the Prairie Typical uplifted areas -:tre Hackberry
Islwd (see figure 1), south of Lake and Little
Prnirie Ridge, south of Kaplan. ex:-:.1aples of uplift ::u-e the
"Five Islands" so..lt do1r1e structures north of Vermilion anrl Cote Bl.".nche
Bays.
b. terrace a late Pleistocene plain.
The surf3.ce of the wedge-shaped Pr-:>iril..! terr:jce in southwestern Louisie.na
holds traces of gncient Red iliver courses "nd <:1 ne:.:rly. complete
belt of the late Pleistocene Mississippi Riv.:;r. These C!.ncient constuc-
tion:ll features have bt'en sor!lewhat subdued since their me..ny
1/ Howe, H. V., Russell, H. J., .J. H., HPhysiogr1.phy of
Southwest Lou.isi.:::..rl:l
11
in Geolo[y of Cmeron and Vf-:rmilion
Parishes, Louisiana of Gonserv.!l.tion, Geolo'gic.:;.l Bulletin
No. 6, 1936. These !).uthors recognized both H:::.mmond Fensacol2. ter-
races in Vermilion Farish. ?he oresence of both of these surf,"ces h!ls
not been 8y this investig:J.tion.
10
of yeC"trs but they ::re sufficiently well expressed on aerial
photogr::.phs :?.nd topoz,r.qphic to show they. rep:esent a well:- . _
preserved dvltuic plain .fer:.ture to thc:.t v:hlch 1s presently
forr.ted to the er.st by the :::iS:3issippi tributary stre::.ms; In
late Pleistocene deltc.ic pletin, hov:evei"",. tht: Red iliver ::.re dis-
tinct from those of the r:ississippi Ri v0r r,..'1d form n of nea;rly
pnrr'.llel to "the" \.'est of the ::w . .ster strerun. The position of mnn
elements in er.ch ti ver system is shovm on plate 2.
(1) Red H.iver co"urses 211d control of modern drainage.
The mcient Hed River courses r.ppe'!.r on photogr 9hs as long, linear, _
cultivated fc3.tures slightly : bove the gener:ll surfa.ce level. Seg-
ments of old Red River occur 1'Iithin these fen.tures and
are 0i th0r defined by soils or nuw followed by minor stre.-:ms. The
ch "'.nncds hc.ve !:re of simil?.r size to ths-se of the mod"]rn Red River
(see photograph, figure 2) :nd :-.re f1::.:1}:(;d by low levees whic?
slope c.:w3.y from them tow:.'.I'd lm:l:1ncis. It is these levees whlch
form the drained l.::nds ''-S ?. re:.qlt, extensively cultive1.ted.
Topographic coverage showin;::: of th:.;se P...'1cient courses is
unfortunately limited> the only Ht'l_ -s th0se of the vicinity
of L:J.ke Ch;1_rles. Th8 'ted Riv-..r 0:1 thL: Pr".ir2_e tcrr::.ce ::lre found:
\':i thin a t b<:-:tvc:.:n Ch
9
.rles rutd cn the south,
c.nd from the C::lc::.sieu lli Vt:r to Opelous:.s on the of 2.
The courses ;_ll trend in a direGticn '.d.th elements
turning southw;,rd in the l;.ti b1de of :::h:.rles. 1110 :::outhwesterly
:1ligrunent of the :unor str,:;:Jns of River s;/stem }s clefl.rly
controlled by the <:!.lifn:.:er.t of the: courses since the streams
either follow f-Led Riv(;i"' ci1.r,.1els or oecupy lowli.nds .between
the old. courses.
( 2) h.ncient Mis sissipni R: vc:r r:-.-: nLler belt arid cor1trol of
modern drcin:.:.ge. Ti12 belt of :-:.ncient led ili vcr .::ourses is trunc:_ted on
the e:.st by the of th-:: :.:ississippi rtiver shown
on 2. The latter belt loc:tlly for:-Js ti1o hj ghest portions of the
terrace surf:J.ce and the l:-:.r1d slopes from its central p'lrt in '1 m:-m-
n-3r simil.:._r to slopes seen :long the of ti1e mCJdern Mississippi
meander belts. Erosicn v;hich forued of the ter-
r!::.ce destroyed much of the me-"'nd.:;r ':lelt n-Jrth of L2.fayette, but elsewhere
it is clee.rly defined vr.i. th ch:::.nnel lor;:::_:-.nds ,_ nd .m::..ny. distinct old cut-
off mw.nder loops. :hl.s ne3Ilder bt;lt is ctiJprox.irintely 20 miles
in width md includes tht) belt of l&nds lyine between :-'l1d Erath.
The fin::! che.nnel position occupied Ly the I.ri.ssissippi River is now
by the Vermilion rti v-;r south of Lc.f:'lyet te. A well defined older
1lississippi nnel em be follo :ed 00:1th of K:.plr1..'1 [lS far P.s the marsh-
le.nds. Hear present edge of the :rr:.:rs!1(js, this old course once flowed
for scver:'.l miles in n gener:->.1 west :rly direction. All of the tribut:=try
stre:uns of th-:; Vormilion River 'lrc coni-.roJled by th'"' slopes of the 1-md
r.ri thin thic b.::lt. minor stre':!m:i directly follow which
vrure once cut-off of the m-:.ster stre"'JJl, while others
levee of t!1e old co:1rscs before fin'"!lly enter-
lng old 1h ::re are fev: Pl!1.Ces in Louisi'"'nn the
f,'!.ctors which c'-mtrol the position of lines be re:-uiily
est ''.hli shed.
11
19. Coastal rr.arshlands. The marshle:,nds form: a coastwise.
belt of near sea level lands wtL-ch e:{tend e<lstward. from the Sabine River.
and merge v:ith the western portion of the Mississirpi deltaic plain in the
longitude of Franklin; La The belt. is aJ-proximately 150 miles l?ng: and .
varies frbm 15 to 30.rniles in>:vidth, averP...ge wi::lth of about 17
miles. The marshlands cover an are;a of 2,950 square tniles,
but they include large water boo1ies such a3 Sabine, Calcasieu, Grand, and
White ;d.tll:areas of 107, lO:.J, 67, and 83 square miles respectivel:f,
and Vermilion, West Cote 3lanche, and East Cote with areas
of l90, 140, a11d 90 square miles. TI1ey also inch1de iruuunerable smaller
lakes givin.; a combined area of water bodies in the coastal marshland in
of 700 square wi the Lia:shes .. e long, narrow,
ralsed a.reas, the anc1ent b:ach r1nges, cal.1.ed chenleresY, and well- .
defined ;,-.odern beaeh rid6es 1-.:hich in places have developed .:U.ong the present
sh8re. many sections, the is not by beaches
but instead is bordered b;r vl5_de ti1al mui .flats.
a. Marshes. ... 1uS ;_ir'2 cor.1po0ed of consoli-
dated sediments vd. th genera:l:{ a -iense or car:e cover. D:...ring an
extended dry period many pc.rts of ":.Le '::ill the wc;ig:-it of
a .'"'lan, but ordinaril? fouti.lg i:lsecur.::. tin!83 of st0rm or
flood almost the entire reei cn ;-, .. '.: be u; surface of
the ;narsh is irt m:my c!1l;, 't cf :.:citted. vei?,etation and roots
charged with v:ater. L. .. s t:1e .. tion in t11e .narshes may be
floating <md is terz1ed develop as soon as the vege-
table growth c!ln b0co::1e rooted. plants tend to -trap sedi-
ments introduced by floodv:ater c.:..r"u .... grow from ac-
cretion of sediment and vcget:_:ble rr:atter.
b. The modern shJre Hest of the
River is marked by a series of '::hi.::!h lw:v-2 been actively forming
in historical time. 'Y.&.:;se are east to ,;est) ooach, Peveto
Beach, a11d Ocean View Bc.:lch ( plar,e 2). WOlve attack h:1s b,:;en cllrected
ag::tinst the marsrJ.ands :1ear Holly (photograph, figure 3) a.1d has
caused a l:::.ndward of the shore. A veneer of shell
detritus and sand has been heap0J to iritagular h.:;ights upon the. mn.rsh-
1::urds during this .. nce G.nd fori:1S <.'. narrov1 ridge of varying
width. The .::..aterials mainly shell detritus c0.rried to the land by
the waves, and some a'1d shell obtained from the rev;orking of the marsh
deposits. Some beaches are up of [!. series of closely narrow
ridges :.ic..rking a local sc:L'lard advance r)f tlie shore { S(;e Oce:tn View Beach,
photogr1.ph, figure 4). Holly reache3 an elevJ.tivn of a.ppioximately
8 feet, Peveto approximately 13 m1d View is 9
f.:;et etbove sea level at its high<:;st point. Because the weight of the beach
is usually sufficient to compact th'3 t111derlying, poorly c0nsolidated marsh .
sediments, the beach settles throughout its period of fornation &'1d,
J:/ FL. ti .-_.::i H. V., "C .. eniurs of Southwestern Locisiana,"
.... w, Vol. XXV, !Iv. 3, 449-461, July, 1935.
y Russell, R . T., "Flot!1.nt," The Vol. 32, :'ro. 1,
pp. 74-98, 1942.
12
.:<-
Figure 1.
Vicent Island at the western end of Hackberry Ridge. This island has been
uplifted above general marsh level and is surrouded by marsh on the north and west. Note the
large number of sm::lll earth rnounds, which dot the surface and pass beneath the
marshlands. Note also the rounded margins of Black Lake which is actively enlarging.
FIGURE
speaking, its thickneSS is slightly more than its elevation above
sea lcvt.Jl. The se::t.H:Td face of each beach is abrupt c.:nct has a
fairly regul!:l.r but the backslor;F..: is irret;ular, being formed by a
series of vm.shover fr1ns that C:.(_v...;lop during times of storm when waves
carry co.J.rse detritus through g.".ps in the ridges. Bt.!:tches average over .
300 feet in width, yt;;t in some ;:laces shell detritus is knovm to (;XtBnd
inlnnd as fat1s for ne::uly one-half mile.
c. l'ud flats ::md rcc.:!Ltl Y abandoned beache0. East of the Cal:..
cc:sieu River is Caneron 3ec:.ch wh.::.ch extends nearly to :-liver,
and. east of the :ermentau .1-tivc:r are Hackberry Beach, and a be::tch near
Cbenier au Tit:;re. Within th.:; p-:1st two decades the grol'lth of mud flats has
shoaled the sea bottom and s0parated tt:ese beaches from the present shore.
:::-esidents report that while mud fl'-lts have been developinf! in these.
locali :.ies new b<:::a;tles have been closely adjacent area:J v-:here
r:md flats were once the shore fe:::.t1re. Thus, ther0 to be constant
strife bet\''een buildin C!:d fJ:.t COPStr:Iction ;lJld it is only in
the areas Y!est of the Calcasieu VBr bec.:.ch building has been the dom-
inant process durint; historical _time.
d. Chenit:res. The :.1ost topoer:.phic :eatures in the
region are ridg0s v1bich in the !Vrshla.nds.
Many of these ridges .1c:v0 live on t
1
1em ::nJ a.: e:. groDp they are called
chenieres. They have -:..11 trlf! cLar.:.ct,Ti sties uf heCt.ches and rise
to irregular elevgtions above se:.: .:evel. Svi::e of thuse farthest inland,
Little and Little ?ec211 re,.ch elev::ttions .-:.bove 10 feet.
T'ne plr.1.te 3, shows ty_;ic:J.l :Jea.::h features of the ci1enieres such
as ;:.. steep seaward face, gentle slope Yri th W[l.snc.ver fws, and rm ir-
re[Sular lenticular of shell detri tu.:; underlying the surface. How-
ever, ffi31)Y .:Jf the chenieres r..re the modern beaches and are m.e.de
up of closely ...;p.:::.ced minor rid,:es. The:;e ridges offer tte best tools for
interpreting the hi story of :,iarsh grmvtb slncG they e.re clearly defined on
topcgraphic m:1ps 2.nd .mtl their alignment records shifts
in shoreline position. The chenieres arn shown on the physiogra;:>hic map,
pl'-te 2, which also presents by dashed lines the positivn which the shore-
line in :<treas where be'!c:1Ps v:ere not :lev loping along the shore.
Thus the coi ty of the shore during each in co6.stal developr:1ent
c::tn be readi:!.y seer.. The three ':lt.J.n t:roups of chenieres in coastal
Louisicma ?..re briefly discussed in succ8eding
( 1) Western .Si;3 ten. 'tr1e group lies be-
tween the S.::bine ni v' . .;r CJ.nd t.he ver, r-..11d insludes a series of
nn-ro::r low ridges, lyi:-tg just i:ll."nd from the rresent beach, which diverge
from Peveto Beach tow.r:rd the lti v'.r be.teh of this series
C'lrV<:3S near its most cromine?1t :-;e;nber in this fan-like series
of chenieres (see ple.te 2). The :lso :-: group of northwest
trending chenieres of which B'.1ck Ririt:e -!nd Sj:d th Ridge the best defined
. These w:,re for;aed <::t :-n e:"lrlicr time th<.n th0 gener.:-.. lly east-west
trendine frv1-like group ne: .r the coast, :1.nd ap --eD.r to be reL!.ted in
form".tion to .Joih'1son' s Bayou, :-.!.11 old pnss of the S(lbine River.
( 2) Csntrnl s.yst..;r:l. The l:1rscst and most extensive
13
group of chenier.::s is locate:d in the m<n"'shland bc;tween the eastern
end of Grand Lake and the liver. Th.::!se chcniJres include seve-
ral wid0 and hieh beach ridge.::;. ch Cippuar to have been formed during
extt.mdcd periods of wave at t'lck, . r;o.ch of thr:; )romine11t cheni.:;rcs in. this
g:oup is sh:wn pl<-. t3 2, ;;,rhcr?. the e: .. .!'li0st f app0ars as .
Ll t tle .Cht:.:nlcreY. Fro11 the allgnmcnt of the; chen1 erc!S, l t would apt:ear
th2.t the Little Cheniero syst;.;m :::ark0d a shore which extended westward to
Back Ridge chc-nivrioJ west of CCL Lar:G. A succession of closely
spaced, similarly aliened cht;ni..;rJS by Cheniere PGrdue and Pwnpkin
Ridge ends with most continuous lin.::ation of chaliercs in. the region,
the Oak Ridge:-Grand C!wnicre which is broken only by
th::: Mcrm\.mt3.u H.i v<::r. Oak Greve Ridge (photograph, figur0 5) extends from
the 1\:2rm-::nt3.u J.ivcr westw;..:.rd nt;arly to wher.:..; it is called Front
Ridge. East of tlk 11<-:rmentau River, Grr'-i1d ff-t..;nds for over 15
miles before losin:':; its ide:1ti ty ir1 th-:: 1:1ar:.:;h, A wiJc expanse of marsh-
land scparatc:s this line of ;re:s frcw. th:; b<..!aches ncar the pr.:.;sC:nt
shore, Almost all of the main in this section are cultivated
211d in th..; vicinity of Creole :..md Sh.:.niere, so::1c of cu1tiv.--:t-.;d
areas arc one-half mile in width.
( 3) ch.:;ni,:rc. S'r.-; A sm::lL r rroup of chvnieres
lying to the vie::.t of V riailion 3D] a.:w'' so,;th o1 iJnite Lal:e forn the
most cheniere: systcw j n LoU.:si:ma. The: r;:.:-.. .i.n I IsLmd,
B'=lle Isle and Gh:mi.r au Tigre ar_ on

2, wl-licrt also indicates

the position of the shore _;_ n to thr in the central
group. 3,;;11e Isle, which "'tCJrt!1we:sterly, is th.:=. oldest th.:.s
series J.nd .vas followrjd by the .::1-rly stat?E:S in dovelop-
m-.-;nt of Pecan Island. C!-:E::nicr a.1 Ti.fT<3 v:3.s the fict of narrm.r chanieres
which dev.:;loped just prior to :h..:.: ::'st blishme:nt of the prest-nt shore.
G. Lak..;s. Tnt:re a m.Ktbt::::- of wat(:;r bodies
v.;i thin the coastal ;:..arshla.nd. l'h3 1--.. rg.:-. on2s i.ncluding Sabine, Calcasieu,'
Gr::::nd D...'1d Vlhi tc; Lakus c..ll loc :.:.ted ;tlcng ,;::1Jor drainage lines with the
l._;xccption of ltVhite In addi tio:l to t!1es.,_; lJ.K(;S, the. eastern marsh
ar .:Li is dGe:ply by ti1rc:..:: lu.rgt..: l.J;.l.ys; V "'rmilion 3ay on the west, c.:.rld
v:cst Cota Blanche and East 3J.c..nchc Beys on the cast. sma.ller lakes
such :1.s and LowL:r 1Jiud Lakes on th-:: Hivc.:.r, and Lake
.:1t the .soutiwrn end of Jayou [;.r: co .::r-.r;.on, and an oxtre:mely
L1rgc nwnb.:.:r of unnamvd sm3.ller lc:.kes dot the
The raap dot:_;S not show du Fond VIhich is sho\m on the Grand Lake
(East), Louisiana QuadrC'.ngle this funturu seems to be relatt:Jd
to the modern shore cf Grand Lake rc.>.Ukr than to any prehistoric ad-
vance of tne buach shore. This che!licre ':ms fornvrly Cheniere
du F9.UX .:md is C'Jnsidered by Howe, .I. V., R. J., and
1v!cGuirt, J. H., of <.tDd Vt:rmilior:
11
Louis-
ima Dcparttcmt of Cons.:rv::.tion, Gcolor;ic:1l '9ull'-tin 1\To. 6, p. 25,
1936, ::.s a f1.lse chcnL:ru but possibly th,_; oldest in the
::tarshl:md.
14
MUD
LAKE
""" '*'3 ;- .. -4-''
'f"
J
HOLLY BEACH
Figure 3.
Holly Beach, west of Cameron, Louisiana. A well-defir.ed ridge of shell detritus
and sand which has accumulated during long continued retreat of the shore due to wave erosion.
Note the rounded outlines of Mud Lake and the filling of its lower end.
FIGURE 3
EAN
V\EW
a EACH
Figure 4.
Ocean View Beach, west of Holly Beach. The presently forming member of a series
of shorelines marking a slow and discontinous seaward advance of the land. Back of the beach is a
much older beach ridge, the unnamed cheniere near Johnsons Bayou. Back of the cheniere are the
near sea level marshlands. Note the complicated network of drainage line following old shoreline
locations back of Ocean View Beach.
FIGURE 4
..,
(i)
c
;.u
ITI
Figure 5.
Oak Grove Ridge cheniere and the proposed Grand Cheniere lock and control structure s:te. The cheP
with live oaks and is aligned with Grand Cheniere in the distance. Accretions seaward of the cheniere mark ridges la;d do\'>'1 t:y the Mermer:L1c; R \ er.
v:i thin th.:. coastu.l r.1arshland to be .' They have char_ac-
teristic roundt:d outll.nes and many give evidence in their co!11'iguration
of once having been str0ams. Ty1)iqal of suc.:h lakes is Lake :!isere, west
of Grand Lake, whoso r.ow1ded outlines duplicate the width of .the me:mder
belt of 3ayou Lacassin6. Mud Lake; of Pass, has a. h.orse-
shoe shape which appears to have rc3ult0d from the enlargement of an.ancient
Cal..:asieu Ri v..;r ch[l.nnel. th:; princip::!.l lakes, Calcasieu,. Gr.md and
V!hi t3, show in their position vd.thin the marshes, t .. nd in th_eir
complicated m:1rginal JmbaJr.n.:;nts, that t:1\:.'Y _T.ay h.::tve .initially :ilrkc.d the
position of stream cours\js. The developed first as of
snnll lakes connect0d by a nnd as they tht..:y coale.sced to
form th..: larecr f 0atur0s. j,lany sraaller such as Deep end Flat Lakes ..
(south of Grc.mci have necirly circul.:-!.r sh::tpes. These round lakes are
(;i ther spaced in the or occur bc:tw.:.:un <illcient beach
ridgc;s. As in the case of all Llkes, their enlargen..:.nt is due
to wavo;;;; att'ick, but. in the poorly sediments their
pesition appears to be by arcr.s in th2 m::.rsh whc;rc sedi..;.
mo::nts b . ..:c:une compo.ctcd or VJhL:rc rl;ginal .:,;as most effective.
Regional subsidence, togetht;r t:-: long C0!1tinued ;.1ssociatcd
vd. th Gomnaction of .:t:.>.rsh S':diracnts Guff}cit::Lt to account for the
general of th..: ;:larsh i'Il:ich p..:.-rmi ts -..r.v..:, :.ttc
1
.erl: tc effective.
(1) str,:::.:-Js forn a nctvrork viith
major ts following anc:i .:mt P.b3!1dOtkd c!-:nn0l s, lo,i;lan.ds bctwc..:;n
chc!1i8res or behind the br.;:.::::.Ks, cr s!":.:_;rcli:-es where dif-
ferential stttlc:n.ent of t h.;

Las .. tt.cd d. vclo:n:-tcnt of

long linl.;!cir 1m: lands (figure 4). 1'.inor elt:;rr . .::mts in. ihe :'let work urn.inage
hav..:;; a rnure rnpln.zard nrrcmgemc;nt h.S.ch is :ess r0adily explice.ble. The
position of strL::.ms resu2ts crimarily fro:n th2 strife be-
tween ;:roC..'!SSE.;S of be::.ch for,:te.tion. th-:: r:t:.mx1ce of ri vr_r passE:s.
Jr::li.rE'.g8 in the ;n::.rshcs cle:.:.rly shov:s that Fd.ver once
the Gulf c.s fc.:.r v;c;;t '.tS Oce1.n Vie'N .:::'er::.ch, e1nd followed Mud Lake,
Old E:.st 3e.you, and :iomilton L:ke to the Gulf ( s . ..oc plate 2). Johnson's
3r..you W3.S <in old courst;; of th'.: .Sabine Ri Vd' 'ii!"t'.:m it the Gulf
bt:tvrcen Buck llidgc 1nd Smith Shifts in the so:: rivers resultod from
di V..:!rsions by tht.: f:nl of or by locGl destruction. of
the ;:tarshl:mds by wavt- at crtck. Th(;!:',;; is t'":lso a normal shifting of river
mouths r;hich occurs '-.S bt.;achc:s ....:lop. and sh,:;ll detritus arc con-
tinu::tlly !Jcing SWept into th.:.: :.iO'...:th.:::; of by along-shore; currents US
the b--: J.Ch deVr..:lops. . Thl!S0 d\::posi ts forcu stre'U!l illOUth to srtift away
from its position. th._ str . r:_:.:.v b,; forc..;d to. occupy
a cours,:.; duch p:1r1.llels tho b3.ckslop<:.! of t h1.; 0:3.ch for ::1any miles before
cros::=.ing the: to th<..; Gulf. 1hc .. Rivur mouth wn.s
gradually shifted to the west as Grand Ch.:ni..:;rv d1;Vt .. loped nnd subscgut:mtly
'xhen H,..1ckberry Beach d.::;velopt::d, a1d the long extension of its
low.:-r course below Up;_;L!r !.1ud L:t.ke clearly shows the result of the:s8 shifts.
fJ V., Russell, h. J., ;1icGuirt, t.T. H., op. cit., p. 57,
Cl te f1gurvs from old surv.:ys t.h:.t show ru1 <J..vcrag.;:; of 9 f;.;t recession
per :.long th.:; south b:.nk and 125 f,:...:t r:::r year along the e3st
bank of Lrrk8 ovt.:'r n. period of 60 y.:;ars.
15
The forming proccsse;s :1lso -:tcti v0 for a long . time in the _west . 1
rnd the dt:V\.:lopment of :1 be:.ch, now !llarl:t_;.d by che:1ierc -..:hiGh extends
from FeVeto Beach to Blue
to westward to end.of Ha'!lilton J:.,ake.be-..
fore it .:::ntored th c Gulf. Subse'lt<ent shifting of the are::>. wave
::ittack Dt.:rmits c. :r1or0 r:1pid of the soa w!1ich :nny breach
form8d bc:a::h i.11d t:::.p the strGC'JTI flo;:in,c: its l.mdward
Thus, thu stream 1:1outh is shifted to a ?Qint nearer its
outlet clw.nn0l. Such .1, ch:.nge took pl :cc l,'.L.: in tht. of the Cal-
casieu Ri vir when th0 m:;.rin.:; tr-:;1sg.ression, r.:..sul t2d in thE; crowth
of 0.2k 1\idt;e, t:.ppcd the River ner!.!" Cr:.Jneron :md caused the
of th ..... lcrrer w-.:stward flowing s0gmc.nt of .its course ( sc;c plate 2).
( 2) Str0:..ms in ar .::1s 0f S:t tlement. Mcst of the rrtarsh
stre-:uns trend e.:,st and west and occupy c:Jurs-:;s b.:tween chenicres.. These
bayous appear to have been in the nqtural lowlands between ti1e
clwnieres as differential settlii1g ::;f poorly consolidated marshland
sediments caus3d a lowering of the :aar3hl::t.nds. Su-::h strea.'iiS as Hog Bayou,
south of Grand Cheniere anu Oalc Ri rlge, 2-ttd Ll t tle Pecan Bayou, south
of Grand Lake, ap_iear to be typical. .:3c:ne str-2a;-.1s such as Grand Bayou,
east of Calcasieu follow sir.ilar east-1rest trt.;nds but are not associ-
ated th chenieres. These streams follo:r old s!FJrclilles where sands did
not accumulate on b2<.tches '::mt where settler:12nt has sabsequently
occurred.
(3) iJiversi.::-1 of_ growth :.;f lakes. The d.is-
of draina:;e lines 'ri ii1in tl1c- indicate::> that some
streams were di Vt-.:rted from their orit,i'1ul courses by the growth of lakes.
Once abandor:ed, these old be.yous were ei filled with veeetation or
enlarged wave attack to i'or:a other lc;.kes. 'Typical of snch diver-
sions is that of f:ayou Lacassine v;l1.i..ch c11ce flo-:ied r.restward thro'--'.gh Lake
Hi sere and =-e:tded f,:>r the Calcasieu Hi ver 'Jy ViB.Y of North F rong Bayou
(see plate 2). is nn1v enlar::ing Have attack as is North
Prong Bayou, l.mt the .intermediat-e chan:tel ar::::as are naw plug[\ed by c:.arsh
sediments and r;;ay be onl.Y b;r the use of aerial ph-Jto,;raphs and data
from b)rings. Another example of drai:ia::-e is the one brought about
by the enlargement of Vfui te Lake. Turf 3ayou, with a well defined
meander pattern only sli13htly s:Jaller than that of the Mermentau Riv:::r,
is now isolated in the mar3hlands of :,'lhite L::tke and choked wit!1
marsh sediments r.-.nd vegetation. It ;:ossible that Flo.'lting Turf Bayou
represents an ancient of .:c_ver which had its
ward continu:1.tion in Grcmd Lake or :.:allarc! Bc:.y alone the north rim of
Grand Lake. .
( 4) Tidal s at ta,.-;s-:::s. of the major streams
enterins Guli' h<...s scoured a deep near its
thrnugh tidal action md has built fairl.r shr .. llcw bars at the seaw-ard
end of its Althcugh the :JCJ :ss of the Calcasieu and SA.bine
Hi vers are nuw beine rau.in tained by dredging a.nd engL1eering works to per-
mit deep Hater rw.vi[::J.tion, se;wld.iv:; :a.:tde before these works were started
shawed that the tict:..:.l channels v:ere ouce over 15 feet deep in pl:1ces close
to the Gulf, n.ad ovu .. 30 fe .;t deep, farther inla'1d. is the case also
of the Mer!Tientau River w:-Lere s:::oming d8pths increa::;e from 10 feet
16 '
the mouth of t.he pass to over 35 feet near Grand Lake, over 20 miles in ...
land.
P.. Cor:tin8nt:il shelf. The co:-!tinental shelf is a broad,
flat seaward sloping sn.blnarine plain ,,vhos e outer lim.i t is ::arked. by the
100 fathom line. It sertward :1.pproxim:1tely 130 miles at ;r,ou.th
of th-::: Sabine Hi v2r and approxi:Jab:'dy 115 miles off Island at the
eastern :11argin of the area inve0tibated. The shelf has a very grP..dtial
slope aver!lgi_ng from 4 to 5 feet er mile, but rising the
gem-:ral bottom slopes are several banks, covered :;ith shoal water, 25 or
JO r.d.les off tht; Loui3iana shore. Off :.:arsh Island the bottom slope is
much flatter 311fl is rn.:1de up of :1 series of shoals w!lich extend 35 to 40
miles offshJre.. The. ccntinental shelf is discussed in this report be-
the .. ature of the and the gene-
ral stratigri1phy and history of the development of the ;n::rshlands are
based partly upon its character.
3 IRATI GRA?
20. Gtneral 'l'hc .strrtta at the surface
and those knv:rn to oecur in -L ...i;Sui_,surf'i s fro.::1 a.n:i from lo5s of
borings lade for loca.l y.:r_.:'k::.> in the al ... e9., are JelLaic plain
deposits of Recent and l tccene age. '?ney 1.'/c!re 2.11 laid down
hi thin the 100, JOO /e2.rs, if :1l chronology as rrese.r1tly
understood is Th,._;se se-...Lirn-onts c..J:-Jsti tute only a thin Ui-Jper
veneer lyins; on th0 many thous.:1nds of feet cjf str::J.ta which fill the
Gulf Ccast Gecsyncline. Both ;:md Flc,istocene deposits were either
laid do::n on l3.nd as a .. :art of ri ve:r delC-as, or t:1cy were dep,"Jsi t,ed close
to around the of 0.:1 L!C: shelf. The
Ro::cent deposi t.s in th0 :-rtt:irshlands vary fro:n a few i:1ches to a v..nov;n thick-
n3ss of over ?.00 f::et and are fr:.:..-'!1 the Pleistocene
seri.ime nts by a profound srosi onal U.'1conformi ty. The:r fill deep valley
syste:ns cut durinc the lnte Wisconsin 8.L;-;.ci 1 ( 50,000 to 60,0JO
years ago) and thick,m. seaward ::...G a huge wed;:e which colllpletely buries
th..:: divides between these '[he sedirr.snts v.:hich t:nder-
lie the J.ecent and wi1ich fo:;:m the ?rJ.i ri e for::n tion so:n-Tise a m11ch
thicker loc2.lly. Doep boring.s ;;;how. t:1:-!t this f.:)rmtion s at lf.:ast
a thousand feet thick at the :res::--t ;1.)r<...!line in Vt::rmilion f;:.rish. In
this are:1 the UP:'3r 200 fc:et of Pleist.J;..:cne secli:ncnts -3.re typic::.l deltaic
pl1in si1 ts ::.nd clays but the and cre:.ter bulk of ::iass consists
of s.s.nds and gravr::ls. The ::eneral nntu2e oi' Hecent .:tnd Pleistocene
strata encour: tered by sh:lllmi borin_;s is on plate 4.
21. depcsits. A1.l of the tece!"lt were laid dm'<n
in tlv: v.1st fe11 chousand y;::>,qrs i'.hile sea level was risinc: :.: . ..r1d subse-
quently \'ihile sea level has rer:1ained In the early stages of
post-glacial ti .. es se;1 level r1as rising, the local rivers carried
L.1rge quc1.nti tit::s of coarse: which they deposited in deltas norf
buried offshore. As level continued tG rise, stream gradie.1ts V!ere
17
lowered c-.nd only fine-grained stree:..11 deposits c;.s far se<!.ward as the
position of the m0dern shore. At the time the sea first its
present elev:1tion, rivers Wf:'re deJ-"'\QSi ting their load at the he0ds of al-
l,.lvial valleys .c:>:1d the Gulf shore stood sw.rc:ral :TI.les inland from its .,rr;s-
position. For a long time c::fter seL:. level re:::.ched its stand,
River occupied l ts 'reche co;.rse on the western side of its al-
luvial v:llley :l.'ld built it0 beyo:td the shoreline into the
Gulf. 1nule the Tee he delta was being the coastal arshlands
received enormous quantities of fj ne-gr1ined sedip,ents _transported wes.t-
w.'lrd to the re:sion by marine currt:nt s. When the Mi:>sissippi its
course to cast and aba.'1doned the Teche delt-3., the !:1F.:!T3hla:1d re;_:ion WC!.S
from site of :.-:!tive derosition, ? ...nC. w<:.ve a.ttacl-: bec:.1r.1e the
prcdo::linmt _r;rocess in sho,
1
Ji;1g the shoreline. As 3. result of chanr;ing
conditions in.::ident to the rise :ln.d stand in levc::l to the influx
of sedi;i",t.mts, c:.s well as these resultin::_: from contemporan-.=ous attack,
compacti-.Jn of tJ:e sedi:nen;:,s, ai:.rl. .miner __;ub:;;idc:nce of t:1e the
RC:!cent m.3.ss has developed into a cc>rtl!"'l i:1t<2rlayered wedt_;e of sedi-
::t--jnts. The gener::.l eli stribution of sits L1 this mass_
is shewn on tht: cross si:ctiom of p:!_:J.t.e 5. u1e .:Jedlr:u.ats :1c:.1r the upp8r
surface (_,f the rec;ion for;n a tl_:L1 tops-cr-.::.cu;n c:f cla;ys with a
g8nerally high water c::lntent ,.,rhi.cL cc-:!t.in rd.ncr l:nticul.:-'tl" bodies of
silt and s3..!1d. TI1e tcpstr1.t-wn vV.rlie3 .nta.ss made up
almost >2ntirel:vr of n l'Til2l' t;>ii::-t;;nt.s to the depth pene-
trated by borinfs I:iade for th;_s st.udy.
a. E.:1virvn.::o,-.mts Jf tic':1. I'he sep:.ration of the pre-
-dorainantly Md sedii,l.n7_.s _i__ .t,) dif'f,_:rent units 3.3 sh-.:wm on the
cross of rl::..te 5 '.v:--.s L:=tde thr . ..-;ugh recogrd tion of the en-
vironments in ;:hich they w:::re l;:d.c:. The prj nciFal indiG:-.tors of the
cnviron!'i.-nts of deposi tio0 are t:1e plant remains vlhich t.he
sedi:n0nts L1corporate, .J..nd "'hich c::-:....1 be t.3ly correl.::.ted. '.vith the fauna
3.nd flora exis::-it;g in the various envirc-n, 1:nts :rj t.hin the rec:ion. The
factor-s detc:rr:J.:-ti:lG ti1E: type of pl::-::-1 t anim::.l li f 2 which can exist
in areas of the narshlands 9-re the s1:;__3_"litv Pnd turbidity of the
w .. d.er. From .q .stuciy of riod8r .. ! c:x!diti:JES it possibl'J to rcco[:1ize fresh
wat =r stre:--..m ar;.d lat.c;:; d;:po.si ts, fresh :L1d ( s::..l t) w? .... ter
of deposits, brackish w:.:.t:-:1 lake ;:_'1d b -:.r dP posits, ;'.:_rld
m:!.rine Gulf bottom dt:;osi t::;. le:lch ts as a
di-stinct but re;:!ognit:or. is :-:ot ::;nsed on the
nature of plant t-.:-.:.d 'lllim<:tl for i..hr::.se sf;Jimt:,t:;.ry messes 1"1-Ve an
entirely different tEXVJre, d-:gr :e ::;orti:1 __ , str',lct.;re ar1d distribution
th-:::1 do :1ll the oth..:r types of d.:-po...;i.ts.
b. Stre:cuu rleo0,:ji ts. Th0 .:;t_.rt.::'nt deposits occur near
the e(1,s".t;r.1 eJge of tr:.; m::u.:;r1l:.;.rid ar -:i >we:sti
1
_;1ted. They form -3 :;:ass of
sedinent whici.1 lF .. id at the Tr::che delta of
the Mississippi .ilivc:r. Tht:y W'e of ti1<:-' silty and clayey
depo:.d ts in tht: r.:_sicn, and to r h.:: d8 . .::p Gorings are
3.vail:::.bl,_ fer st'ndy, they ,f::;';:pNc..r<i .into scl..'1ds 3.nd gr:1vels. The.::e
deposits J.re dJ.rh. in coLT, . '.!.V<:: a water which varies
from to 70;.; :..md lt;..;s 40% (dry ;.:t::ic;ht), md c::>nt-U.n unly
small ?J:tou.ats of hunus, usually than 5%. They_ er[1dw-illy incre&se in
thickn2ss ..:c:.:Ji::vnrd fro1:1 3'-ly ;"h'=-':: ... e thc;y from 10 tn 15 feet,
18
to south ,)f !-'rco.:1klin w!1ere they .!lr:.! knovm to h-1ve a thickness in excess
of 40 f:-::et. Fluviatile s1.rvl3 .. nd silts B-lso occur in accr,jtion areas. with-
in F:eiDders of the River. Th3Se in color from dark
to <md r.:..nr:c in thickness from 10 to 15 feet. They
h:1ve hign an1 htunus contents.
c. Fresh qed brackish wJ.ter ::'o:>..rsh de8osits . The !!larshes
.;Xt?nd over a 15-:-rrd.le-rridt-: 'o:::lt in Louis:i 3J1?.. and mP..ny
othLr environments strearr,s, nd bays. Tid:1l flow through
the rivers bd ngs br:::.ckish waters into the marf:hes near the co:':ist. Br$.ck-
ish waters are fotind in some of :.he lak.:;S Ctnrl b1ys. the inner
edg,3 of .. :,.::r3lles fresh water;.; are introd
1
.1ceJ Pllong streams c.nd fill
many 0f t!1e 1.:-.. During of storm large areRs of the ;n.:.rshes m3.y
be \':i th lvd.L:r fro!Il tl-;,.:; Gulf durine times of flood
much ol" the ;.i.3.rsh :>..reas .11ay be Ni t.h fresh vt:ltcr p Ex:t,.::Eded dl"y
periods lower L,he. cround water t.ai)l3 sl :.:nd the marshes may be
p2rti3.lly drained. <.illd beccme "dryn f:.rmer. T!1us, the entire region
is a cor:.plcx of ch-:-nt:;ir!g .. b;,r 3. ch thick
cover of .'i::'..t.:r m;.::.rsh rt.dominate beneath the
landward portion of =::.r:; chJ.r:--.. :::ttristic".lly zrt1y,. gray-
brown, and g:c::y-black s.eill.m,__;nt.:::: v from 2 to J'J in thickness,
but averat;;ing only 5 fr:: .. t-. The th5_ci-:::1e.3s of d.:posits increases
e.;t.stw:l.rd aher(: l'ti th the ri v.-,;r de, ;osi of th-:; T-:;;che
system ( S<2c cross A-A' 3-''l..i C-C
1
, pl::. te 5) :liid ,;:;{;a;;ard they
e.re re:pl:: .. cul by br.:;.cY.i.sh m:u-sh s.

r:0fini te line can

be drav.n to fr.:;.:;h .'!C.t.Jr -:mel br!..!.ckish deposits and
thc:y knovm to ::.n.t-.;r'2.:: . tr:.; c:d,so of the coastal
belt. Th8 fresh w:!.h.r :r1:r:.i'Sh :nts '11.:-:-o with la.ke and
river dcposi ts. All r:.o.rst g.:;:1eral Ly soft <illcl co:1tain
the highest watel' co:1tent of of t'J1c: .r r:o!JS tJpes of d...:;;osi ts. There
is >.. record of vc.:_ri<ttion in cf 251' so 8L,O% (dry and
:.he c.voraGe s:.mple cont:llns 8D1 :-m i l ( weight). Fresh water
r.carsh s .dirr:ents :1l.so cont:;;.iu ,q hit:h p;r.>nt:->.gc of hu"mS r:.nd some ]Jeat
berJ.s. cc:1t'lin only 3['(:tr.:;e .fc.u;vl the Unio md the sn:-:il
Vi 'li p:tra bt:ing reportt"::d in th' l.i t .:..ra::-ur... They :lso C)ntain diato;:J.s and
fresh t.;s. The vf the.
r.rat .r _ .:.eposi ts is so!::mf:--;a t .Jor.s ,;d ."'Jld the following
forns found in s::unple0 e::iJ!.m.ln8d fvr this ro_:JOrt:
Rot. ali':' bc,cc!'1.rii v:r. ..... Cormncm
E. hecc::J.rii va:r-. . Common
s p. . . CoDmon
:2:1 phi di tL"'l. s . ; ... Cofil!:(on
sr .. :om . .ton lJ.Hiw:J.rd, seaward
......... Sr:!attered
!';!oilusJ:s . ........................... , . R:1re
Ostr:l.codes .......... fl.g,re
d. L:.:.!-:<.: d-..:xJs:.ts. Slu::-,sr.:!.y ;,;l:.ys t:.n-1 silty ::::la:,s Hith
sh-...:lls 3.nd minor L;ntlcul::..r bodie.:; of s::nd3 1.h.i ch coElprisa 1 ').ke
.:end b::1y d . .:posi ts OCC'
1
1I' th.: m.:1.rsnJ.:1nds. Tr:t.;ir coil tent is
consi less LlElrl tln t of l:' .. r.:.rsh ts nl tilCJUGh th-..:r0 ls knovm
range of tv 4)0% (dry ;;,;i5ht) with tht.:: hieht:st p.:.:rc..:ntag.;s bd.n:: found
19
as.sociat'Jd \lith h:1ving high organic contents. The thickness of the
lake 3l1d deposits Vclries fro;a 5 to 50 ft:et but :: ... voragcs aoout 15 feet.
These beds c:.rc tr:..:.n::;ition'.ll betv:-.;,:n th(... fresh water sedim.::nts on the north
and the bracYish--niarine deposl ts near the Gulf (see sections C-C' and D-D',
pL!te 5). S.11nplcs are charaQtL rj zed by the .!-Jr.fsenc-:; of thE cl.3JT1 Rmgia
and the following faunal assemblage:
Foraffi.i nifera
:1otali 2. bcccarii var. L: pi da . Common
R. becc:'.lrii v:.r. . . > .. Conunon
i..Jonion sp ......... . .- ............. .< ..... . Cornrno11
sp ..... ........... , ..... .. Co:n.raon
Elrhidium ncxican,lm ............. Sc1.t tered
Slphidium
1
'UI1tri :_ ............... sc.1.ttered
!ll:!n:) cb.::d forf:...-:1-i_nifer:.t .... .. Sc1.rce
Clams
M".llinia ........... Plentiful
Ostri:.:2. fra6:ii.t.:nts Corrliilon
..... . _.
ce1in:1 ....... ............. . ....
c>bcssu .......................
..;. Guli of Gulf buttom deposits
art: alonP' th..:; :!t..Jd-:.:rn .:;h._ru i"!.rld. from subsu,face seriim.-:.nts. Mud
flat deposits close to r:.IH.i build up from th.:: Gulf bottom
to s0a leval. As the sea tlrculh flnt forEution, vegetation
flourishes and the upper p:-_rt of t.h . .: d_po:::its r:few
above sea . ..:l to b.;come se.lt :.:-:.rst. s'-'C0'1d typ..:.: of deposit
is that 'i:hich is dolm to form the Gulf bctr.om :1...'1d is bc:ing const::mtly
r.-;workE:i by w:.ve action. It is difficult to ev:::;rywrH.;rc distinguish bc-
twoen f:-tcL:s of dt:posi tion they contl.J.n similar -:-lss.:J1abl1.ges
of animal lif3 e..nd few stu.dics ho:-.vc: been r:1ad.:.; of the modt>rn deposits.
(l) fl;:::. d;;po.::>its. Th3 Jr1vckrn ::m.:.i flat dep:>sits con-
sist of v....:ry loosely cL:.ys :o.:1d on vthich there ."J.r8
rroscnt no d2.ta as to w2tcr o!' contents. Visual exWni-
nation leci.ds to opinion the: co!ctmt is high nnd the organic
content lmr. TI1ese de:pr..>si ts rccvgn::. z:d in the of the
m: .. rshlands whcro they from 2 to lC f.:et in thickness r:1d increase in
the Gulf. The det:;r:ninL1f, factors which control
ness of th"3SC dtJposi.. ts r:.rc the d,,r:-ths of Gulf overlying the
sediments '.:.s the:.r are deposited '"':ld t :-.; loc :->-1 ties of the
bot tom. They were lr:.id do:;n as the reline rcc.:.:ded e.nd have been
entirely since sea The fauna included in
obt;-ined fr0m r:md flat s is listt=d :J..c'1d differs
from th0.t of br:o.ckish v!-::..ter in th3.t it dos net include
the bre.ckish r cl:L-rt, The :.1os;:. :1.bu:1d:-mt in these dep.lsi t.s
is the ;rc;nus Mulinia.
Foraminifera.
Rot alia vc::.r. CoiilJ:lon
Elphidium sp .................. .-., . ... Conunon
Elphidium ince1,twa... . ; . Scarce
Quin1ueloculin.c.. sp . . : ' . Very scarce
!Julini a . : . ; . : . : Corrurion
. ... :. ... (!o:runon
Ostre::.:.. : . ; ..... ' .. Sc .:1rce to Conunon
t,j(ia . .............. , ............. -.......... Scarce
3arnacles .. ; .
(2) Buttom de.f2..0its. F.)r si.Tilplicity in the
Lottom d .. .:r.osits .i1r0 L_Sroup\.:d with tht: rnuJ fl3.t deposits on the cross sections
of plate 5. They are ctistint:uisha'.)lo frcm mud d..;posits howev.;r
:1.nd :lrd knvvm to nave o.n c>f 10 fc . .;t b.:::neath the
Tho only nat.-:. av: . on til,; of Gulf bottom deposits
Qre th.:.s0 included on th,_; c:.nd Surv..;:r hydroer'".phic charts
and a few borings offshor..; ne.".r th2 mouth C;f UK: River.
The borings shsw botto:n scdir1cnts to consist of scft s:mdy
clays with sh:!-lls. Survoy h)Tirogr:}.phic charts in-
the scdi,!P!1tS cor.si.:;t ;11Jd, S''l1d, 'nd Sh(.;lls V!ith the con-
sistency of thi.: bot tom i.':or:t t.o soft. tit tl .. : is known Rbo"J.t
the distri8ut::..on o: b'Jtt'Jffi s,:;dim<.:!1tS, .. lorin[S made for t.his ?rO-
ject co the I!IOSt rkt:1.ileci inf:-:r.:1"..tion the sediments
studied obt ined frorr: buri<:d 11Y'2l'S, nd r -:Jrop . .;rties un-
doelbtedly });::;.;n so':1e1'fh"!t th :y -::er':! l;:id dovm .-:nd
cov.:.red. '..:.ot tom dejJoSi ts ;:.r.:; dis sl1ed from Jth2r sediments
in that thr.:;rc arc disseminr.tcd sc-.nd gr:>i!1c in thG cl1y .:::ass. These sandy
J.re int:;r
1
Y:dded th silt/ clo..ys cl"i':s are sliehtly firmer
than thos.:: of oth:.r dc;-{)si ts. 'I'h...;re is little r .. vail?.ble infc.rmation as
to org::..:tic con tt,.;nt :)ut the d.:j::-0 ;:;its 8Vt.:r:,:'\:here o.pp(;c-.r to cor.tD?.r3.ti vely
fr'.38 of organic 1!/h.;rs thC; w:1J;r co;tcnt ,)f old dEposits
tcst,.:.ci nc:->..r Cr:o.nd Chcni..:l'e, it w:::s fou;,-,J. to from 30% to 60% (dry
wGigh t), e.n nbnorm;:.Lly lm; qup_n ti ty l':lKn to Rc:eent deposits.
These s\,;dimC;nts cc,ntnin the T:.ricd fc:.un:: of :1ny cf +h.; deposits
studied _md can be e.:1sily rGCO['.n.i .. Zf.:d by the: Area :>rtd LcJ.a. The
following is .:t list ()f t[k: .Lot(!1d in --
Ii::> tali a bee 1.rii v :1r. Common
sp . c()mmon
Quinqucloculina sp . Sc[l.rce
Quinqucloculina SJminula . Common
Vire:;ulin-:1 punct:lta
_Clams, Snails, a.'1d ArthropadS
Ostrea fragments, .. :Plenti.ful
Mullnia la terali s. ...... . Cur.unon
Area. .. ." . . ConL'non to Scarce
Leda .. .- CoiDillon
Pholas .. .-
Polinices duplicata
!iusycon sp . I Scarce
ilia cerina .. 1 , Scarce
Crepidula sp , . . Scarce
0 li vella ...... Scarce
Barnacles ..... . Scarce to
f. Beac!-1 deposits, The beach deposits are masses of SEl.nd and
shell detritus varying from 2 to 20 thickness are presently_
forming along the shore. They -:-:L>CI vc: :ur u:clerlyihg the a11cient beaches,
the chenieres, vrhich are found in 'l;ars::es a!:.d v:h:::_ch are aligned
parallel to the modern shore. witi1 ::he sand G.nd shell de-
tritus are small lentils of c;lays U.'1d :'i..lty clc.(.rs c-;:1d _::trticles .of organic
substances. The c1:eniere depcsi ts been weathered more than those of
the modern beaches, and a:__]o-Je the wa+,er table e1re oxidized and
loc(:.lly bro1m in color. Jf t.!.e.::;e dcr b:CJ.ch ts h:>..ve ha.d much
of the shell materials le2crH"'d by t:rourd ,;ater action and i:.he soluble
materials h?..ve been carried cio-.rr:Narci : nd rectepcsited as calcium carbonate
nodules. In plac3S, the r:;iel"'-;::;i ted t;alciun cements the mass
to form nJ..inor indurated thin The .:lolluscen fauna v:hich
chi:iracterizes the nodern be;l.cnes chcmieres h3.S been determined by
Hadley1/. The fauna nhich uas found in samples obtained from borings for
this project indicates that tht! beach dep0.sits represent a concentration
of sh.:lls reworked from all 3.n 1 bottom envirorr.1ents. The
follovling genera are those found in so..nples from borin'5s:
Foranri.nifera, Chs, Snails, and ArLhropods
!i.otalia beccarii var. Scarce
Ostreu fraG:nent s .. Pl. en tiful
:.rulinia Scarce
Area . .................................... Sc ::tree
Anachais . Scarce
nangi '.3. Scarc.e _
Dor1ax. .... Scarce
a ... Scflrce
0 ., . . ..,
O_t_J_mces ... . corJP.lon
Stro;nbus ... ScJ.rce
Barnacles ... Scarce to Common
1J Hadley, "Checklist- of : collected from
and Chenieres of Ca'7leron and Vermili-on Farishes," in f'reology of
Ca.11eron and Verirtilion Parishes, Louisi rma Department 0f 8onservation,
Bull. No. 6, p. 14, 1935.
22
(1) Structure of i':-each deposits. The structure of beach
deposits is more indicati of the .;:nviron.rnent of deposition than any
other of its features. Borings throuch Holly Beach shO\"'r/ an irregular
structure determined by the heaping cf the be.-:ch detritus on the shore
and a settlement of th>J :::ass into poorly ccrapLctcd un.derl;ying marshland
sediru-::mt s. were drilled to sufficient depths bt:neath the beach
shells to penetrate key fror.1 the of :rhich it v;as possible to
2stablish tho:' amount of set tlt:rr..ent. The Holly Beach and its rbla-
tionship to the wectCc of Recent sedif:1ents is shown on pL1te 6. TI1ese
cross sactio .. ls. s:'1oW the bc;:ich sccii:nents to 'oe sorted n:J.sses of
medium and fine sands >'l:l.th :::!iells shell detritus which extend to a
depth low,::r t11'1n that of the Gulf bottom. This fact thnt the
deposits settled in the loosely e)nsolidatf;d Gulf bottom deposits of
clc.ys :.1nd .. clays by over t,-;o f:;et ..-::d ':ave defor.ned the
UI1derlying b.::ds. Hovrever, the set riid not affect ?.n 8 to 10 foot
lover of firm brackish w:j_t -.r deoo;-:;i ts :t.it:h occurs 25 feet
bc-;120:::.th thE; surface. :Jor did the :-.hi :1 v:edfie .0!1 the of the beach
de: form the lit tl(_; comp.:1ctcd fr'=- :-3h ;rtte: , .. posits .;;:O.i occur at thu sur-
face. Since the thickest o.f shells is 8lOSL! to pr(::sent shore
c.nd ah:;u.d of the be<lch ridge, it se-...:ms t)F::t. t'1e :1ass of shel:l
detritus rcrresent.s i!1 part, 2.n :-..:..:1c::.ent beach ridgl.! d2velorcd just prior
to the Holly 3e'lch ;_.::rl is b.:;;ing de:.;tro'.'ed b;
1
- the wave at-
tack. As wave Holly in heicht it is to
bs expected that its ;11'-.ss ;,1.::!..1 sulJJj_d;:; i.1 t:12 underlying s2diments in a
manner ;.;imil:ir to that Hh3 cl-, h.,_,s occurr-_;:d in the olc:L,::r d1.SS. It is
probable T:.hc:.t .most as comJ_;lex a struc'."ure :;.::; h:1s Holly Beach.
( 2) Struc c11r..3 vf deoosi ts. Many borings vvere made
thrct:..gh ch:micres to det..-.. rntine th.e-.:_r thi.!ir r0laticnship to
the mar.shl::nd deposits. :Ject iG!ts Little; G:1e .. 1it;rr:, Cheni..:;re Per-
due a.'1d Grove Chcnic.rt..) a.nc thrA!gh the intcrveninz m'lrs:1l3..!1dS are .
ind5.catt..)d on th':: cross s0ctions cf l'l:ttc 7. Th,se sections shew the
chenieres to have Cl strllcture comp'lra:;lc: to of the ;uod.t.:rn beach
They are underlcin b,y lenticulnr of s 3Ild shell detri-
tus ';:hich in places extE;ld S::veral fe,.;t bt:low Sf.;C'. :ixvel md cle;:trly
indicate th:=J.t Sl';ttl._;m-:.;nt uf int:.o the nec.:;nt St:diments
w:.:..s pJ.acc at thi.: time tlL-y v..-cr.e bd.!1g derosited. Th-.] part
of :.::her.iere P .. ...:xt:..r.ds to 2 f<;;et b:!low sea level ar1d
overlies a w,.;ll defined :t-tr:\cr bed in v.h1 ci; the d8fo;-r.:.r.ticn throueh set tl;:;-
nent be The st:r...1ct11re of Little:: Cr,e:ni.:;re is very
simi2 ar to thr:.t of Holly "?<:;ach, v.'i t.h :he se-.:.v:T:'Ci toe of th'-' cheniere de-
posit f:trthcr below s..-::2 level d0c:s the :r:.ain :-::ass bcnee!.th
the last forncd _;:.ortion of the r:i dge. The Chenicre com-
plex is composed of S2Veral closcli,r -:td,:,_c.::.n.t piles of be<t,::h detritus at
Crr:;ole !lnd differs cor.sider::J.bly from t.hc of other chenier.:;s as
v1ell !lS the r.1odcrn beach. It is :.1 y 1-,hi!1 :1nd mass of
shc:ll detritus u::der v:hich little set tler.1cnt occ'J.rr-::d. The str'..lcture
of such :1 ch.;nit;re mass that the shoreline wqs co!l.tinually
receding or resultiJd from clost:l:.r s !X' c8d, minor tr-"ln:::gressions and
of :he sea.
22. '?he PL,istocon8 deposits
lcdd d:Y\'n on th-.: delt:-J.ic pl.1.ins uf :,he Red Ili v.:rs
and form a thick uass which includes recognizable fluvi::.tile, brackish
and brackish-; 1arine interfingerings of secUments.. Thi3 mass is called
the Prairie formation. L!uring the last stage ,ihen sea lf2vel
im:ered, these deposits were deeply by str0a.-:1 action and became
deeply weathered as the eround \.atc.;r t;_lble 1.as lor:ers'i. Wsathering
[;ratly changed the original prcpf:rtiE;s'of L!e and b ca11e
oxidized throughout an upper 10 to 30 foot zc:1e '.:hich is no\; <.:h:tr&cterized
by sediments .d.th t;ypical mottl;:;d r2d-brown or yellov1-brmm color. The
_zone of weathering is .:::lso che.re.ct.:::rized in plo.ces by loc'.il concretions,
nodul\.;!s of c:1lciwn c:lrb:;n.s..te less than e .. '1 inch in dianh:.:te!',
which have been found t.J extend to depths as r:r2<lt as no belO'.\" the
top of the Pleistocene d:::posi ts. In some 8oring:> c JDC!.;ntratL,ns of cal-
cium carbon:1te nodules v1ere found to make up as hiGh as 50;( of the JnE;.ss
in th:i.n zon3S. These V7::atht;rec1 sedirr:ents are the flrmt2st deposits en-
in the region and have both lov: 1nter and or5anic contents.
Ho:.ot of the borings made for the of this ::;tudy. y,ere drilled only
c. f8W feet into the weathered anl (_;.. d.lj zeci zone of the ! leistocene.
Hor:ever, det:per borincs '::er:.; 'ron o":.her sources, including un-
clist:rrbed saP.tpL. .. s by the cnt:3in ..: :r:.; at t:1e iWOpos-3d lock and
contrcl str'1ct11re Fro 1 .ie.-:::p it. was possible to
disti!1guish :..re lS in -.:bi:::h St;<ij lent:_: i:.,r . ..: .laid dovn1 b:r the Red
River, are=ts of Mississippi Ri v.:. r C:.e:..o.:;j. tiOl>, c:re:as of br.:-:ckish-marine
deposits which lPiid dov:n on t,tr; of tht. plain.. The.
general stratiGraphic se:::tivns of tbe Prairie forma.;. ic!1 i:1 cifferent parts
of the coastal ar-:::a <:!.re sboYn on plate 4.
a. Jed Jdver Pl9istocene Flvi: tile deposits of
River origin are b<-.. n a".h sedim.::nts near the present
shoreline at the Gra11d Crh:;i1il:re lock ;;.rvl c:mtrol structure site, farther
inland at the; r:;c:1tfish Point site, an1 nr;CJ.r t.h-:; h:;arJ. of Calcasieu Lake
(see plate 1 for locat.i.)n). The nat "r'3 anri distri b.1tion of the Plci sto-
R0d Riv.;r s2di.:1'.:;nL:; cl;_;arly show th t th..:: Red Rivur channels on the
uplanri ( s..,;t-] pl,.t e .:::) co!1ti :1uc- j benE:att th', at leas;J as far as
the pres.:nt t:!o:.:stlin;. tte u.,per parts of th(j!Je de;'osits are
ox:idi:.::ed, tL.'V!lter0d :n.t"-:.tcrials in th.;:: sr:::ction hav<:: the
brownish-red color of Rt::d }"-',i vcr s.-:di.::.::nts. Over 40 feet of al tc::rn3.ting
crorm-red clays ::mel silt:/ sand[; are ;-:no;.n to occ:1r ths arE:a
of si It is t.::. ;c:;d Ri ':f_.r se:dir_;,<;j;'l.ts are all
fluviatile in th<:::y C')ntaln no diJ.;inostic fmma and be-
cause the silty nre of mo l.Jl"n Red Riv,c:r n:...t:1ral lev-::e d._;posits.
b. u .. tit:o the Red River
dt:posits tht i Rivor d:!posit.3 cr.:.n b ... tr 30:::.-..rard from the
Flcistoc_,ne meander bc.:lts the.:: VerJ,d.lion Riv .. 'r into th-:; suosurfelce
by moans of oorines. The :n.ost cl . ..:!tailud inforr:-,3-ticn av:ri.lable is at thu
Schooner 3ayou Locksit-3 ( S'C). pla.te 4) thrj 20 of the
Prairie arc UJ) of silty cla:;s cl-::yey 3ilts of 1Jississippi
River oricin. J.s . ..:wh,;re in marshland:? cr1l.l scatter0d borings
p..::ne:tr.'::ttt}d to sufficit:nt. deJJths tcj as to tre
of th.-' :lis3issippi iliv :r. Th:::rc is, c::nc,.ugh inform.:1 tion qvail::.i:Jle
to indicate ::issis:.Jif;pi 1iv;_;r int::::rfing,3r.::d vd th !r1arsh c:.nd
fl:1via.tilc cl,.:posi ts in t:,his :1rc ,s_ 2.nd it i3 thc:.t the
l\1issi:::.:sippi Tliv r during a portion f late Pl;istoc.Jnu time !1ad it:'
p:.tss,;s so;lth of t:1e uncl-.:r inv_::stigation. .
24
', ___ ._ +
c. PL;istocene hr:.:'..ckish vmtl:r d\...posi ts. Around the
margins of Uw Red R.i. ver deposits on the W\.:St ar0 Wt.lter
I11:1rsh and bottom depo!lits cc1nsisting of gray clays, silty clays
."lnd sC"md;y \'!hich fossil shells Thv included f:mnr-t is v2ry .
sir:lii:1.r to that which exists in the RecLr:t r:u.lrshl?nd cnvironm\..:nt :-md points
to th0 fact thn.t during lr:.te Pleistocene the C'.llf extLmded inl.-:nd
:s f3.r north md. vrcst .'"!s Lake CharlJD. Tht..: distribution of. the dc..posits
show th::.t the Hi cours,.s form8d long extension of lrnd to the
south and of Lake: Ch:1r lc s. .:-tre:: of brac:<:ish vmt;;r Plcd.sto-
cene deposits occurs in th<.: subs Jrf3.C(;_ in the region of Gr:nd L1ke .:-tnd
Vvhite L<1.ke and froill the shore inl:md to where the deposits P..re
...:;xposed at the Prairi-e r: . Like the Recent de. posit::.;, these :1nci0nt
mr;.rsh s JdimL:nts ar;:. m:-.:.inly ::nd silty clws contcun fossil
c 1:-ur: Rlnf:da i:1 :1bund-!.nc e. This are:1. of rr'.rshlo.nd d..;posi ts 3-ppeo.rs t.o he:.ve
developed between the meand2r belt. of the River and the .belt
of Red River courses on the
d. 3_n ?le.lstocer1e surface. -The most
consistent horizon in the ne:.r suo.:ur i:.; the tc.p of Pleistoc.ene
br..;ds. As previously indicated, t.Le sediments are
easily separ:1.ted from the b;.r r.;olor and general
oxidized character, by :.heir cre::tter c:.nd their low water con-
tent. TLese it E;n.sy to pick Llle t.op of the Pleisto-
cene in the large o.L burillfS whLcll 1:ere aJc:il.J:.tbJ_e for the study.
By plotting the ion Gf tLe .i\:.r,:::.tion rec: .. rdad in several
thousand borings, it .fou.:vi th;..l.t surf::.ce iias higtl.r irregular.
As on ti1e cont0ur0 o: plat:: E, these irreeul3.ri ties consti-
tuted deep trenches ch head :!(rth of Lhe shcreline
or extend beneath the alluvial of ihe :najor strea.qs. :-T0 borings
hr-we as yet ::.ade to tt:::!st the .:laximu:n c.t8pth Gf t:.hese trench<2S. One
boring to the :wE.r Sablnt:; iii v.=..:::: sh;Y.'iS the de "msi ts to
extend to apr_.roximately 220 feet belov.r t;t'!'J. lcvc:l. Altho,gh the bott'Jm of.
n.e::i ther th..:: Calca0ieu nor the Merrndnt:.:Pl tren:.::hes has 3.S ;;et been deter-
!!1i.ned, it is prc;bc::.ole that at the shore .d.ll be at least as
deep as the Sabine: trench. Al tht:,ugh t:1c cc n toJ.r map (plate 2) is a highly
generalized interpretation,. it ..:1b:,ulcl c1 C:':trly point to the fact that the
Recent deposits bur,y an extrenely Plei::: tocene surface.
23. General cunsideratio!i3. 1..aj n str11c f2ature of so'J.th-
vrest Louisiana LJ the Gulf A '.1 co<lst.::l plain strata
dip seaward toward this !m[e dmmwaroir, . v:i th lower arid o1der 1Jeds being
dO\mwarped to a hi:;her de2;ree. :';ear' t!le .str'..<Ctural slope is
low but it is clearly defined in the sE.:mtard in clio of +Jhe Frairi0
terrace A:!.thcnJGh re:::.on ::as slightly
1
.l.pllftAd
whilr; downv:arping was pl ac;, th} s Jj d in no way destroy
t.hc: effect:; <)f dov/'1\.arpinG The terr.:LCC-:! sw.,face can be traced in
the subsurfar:-.; by )i' !Jorines its slope is easily determined.
SubsurfacE: data ;:;h:nv buried Fr.q,irie .:.;'J.rface to dip .:>ou-:hward 11est of
Vv'hi te Lal<:8 and southeasbm.rd east of Vlhi te Lake. The southward slope is
fairly regular as f.[!.r r2.s the present shoreline. south of which_ it increases
slightly. The southcaE;tward slopes are steeper than the southward-slopes
and they increase toward the River deltaic plain_. The sur-
face 2.nd subsurfac..:; slope r2lt!.tio:1shi:;s are shown by the con-
on plate 9' The contours show the minimurn depth. at
the Frfririe foriiiation should be encountered in borings beneath the coastal
marshlands, and erosional irr.esulari ties on the buried. surface were not
considered. Tl1e regional cross sections of 5, 6; and 7, also show
the dip of the Prairie terrace 81d illustrate the .seavnrd ir1cre:;t.se in dip .
of :.be buried
24. Tir.,e of do\vnwarcing. The str.uctural movement is believed to
repr8sent defor;J:atio:1 of the corltinent::ll margin which took pl.:;ce >ra'inly
th.; w!len deltaic dej.<J3i ts accu.rnulatin} v1hile
sea level was risin TI1e cross 'sect:io 1s 3-3' and ")-D' of plate 5, :E1!1d
G-{}1 of plate 7 clearly show an L1cre.'lS3 in of the 11ecent wedge
of ssdiments south of a lin3 g!1tlJ inlaad fro;;l the shore. Tllis thickening
is with a incr0ase in the 3lope of the buried
PrC"..i.cie sediments v.rhich 1:rcvides th.; Le.LS\U'c of subsider'lce. The increc::.se
in slope supports th,:. t.r,:1t r.1ain 0f :i.cr:; 3ediment are
offshore c:md were L.id dc::v:.1 l .:val ros.,;, an_d most
occurred prior to tht: of ti1c Other :rritersbt
h.J.Ve st.:lted that the inJ.rmJ . older cJ-,,;nicri3S are at lo,\"er eleV'itions
than more recently for::1ed on0s :md ti . .:..:.t tl1d.r lOH8r topoerapiuc position
rGflt.;Cts active dc>i:mmrl i.'l:_::. Eu.-.rev:.::r, c:.CCur'lte clBvatioas a:td topogr-aphic
mapping now show that pcrtions o.::.' tne uld,;r are u.i:. heights
comp3.rable to the .)'oung,;r ._ nes. abnor.r:;ally low ch.;nicre
elevations can be sho\'in in mo:t.fly plact:s by b.)ri.1gs to b(; the result of
settlement of the of ratikr t!1un subsidence.
The cross of plc::.tes 5, 6, <md 7 sho':: only extre;;ely minor amounts
of seaward tilting fron '.;ilich ::ubsidence be in the Recent
deposits. Only in the of the pres\,.;nt .shorelinc docs the tilt in
ths upper part of tho Recr::n t :.<Jdge shoH :1pprE:ci amcU.rlts of ::mbsidsnce.
The e.v<u labl10 datSi point to ,'J. sreater crustal st:ibili ty 'Vhilc :narshlands
develope:d e.."<:is::-cd im;r,ediD t..:dy th;:;reto v:J..1cn thicker deltaic
r12.sses v:ere formine of.'fshore.
25. fa
1
lltit:!. Gcnarc:.l stutlie.s he;,vs disclosed t:1r1t the entire
tral Gulf Coastal Pl;,.in is criss-crossed Hith frc:.ctFre lines. These
fractures are beliGved to havt.: :-.ad a lont; !'='Jriod of 8ro.vth ;-:nd Lave been
developins Ccn tempor,J,ncously vri th th.:; dm.T.W3.rping of the Gulf Coast Geo-
syncline. The conte:.ct rnarshL.,j;ds .'!Jlrl the di oping Prairie terrace
surface is a very irregular with :'..nzulo::.r e::tbay ents of the Recent
deposits lying ,_,i thin tt.) F:-uirie: terr: ..:.ce ThJ msularities are
outlined by faults which tr ...:md in tv-:o north:res tward and north-
(;astward. ;rovsment along th12 se f!l .. lts, with QUt "'1e or two exceptions
has been tov1ard the ev.'lst. The f.::.ult lines .,:;xt.md inland s.nd hr.:.ve
i7 R
1
..tss,;ll, it. ,J. C;J'l.j Hove, H. V.,

of So;..tth'.:estr.:;rn Louisi.::n.? .. ,"
The Geographic<,! Review, Vol. XXV, !'Jo. 3, pp. 449-461, July, 1935.
26
affected the drainage pattern on the Prairie terrace' Many of the large
bends in streams occur along the fault lines .:md several sections of the
alluvial valleys. of the Herr:1entau and Calcasieu Rivers also follow them.
The surface traces of the faults have b2t.;n determined from a study of
aerial photographs and the positions of several of them h1.ve been checked
by subsurface seismic and deep well An outstanding example .
by f.'lulting is Little Prairie Ridge, just east
of \Vhi te :L3ke.. Here a V-shaped segment of the Prairie terl"ace rises above
the ;:ml"shland and is bordered hy faults which dip awny from the ridge.
_ Th displacement. a.ssocia ted with these faults can readily be seen on
G<:::rial photogr.qphs where Mississippi River ch1.nnels, which ere several
above sea level on the ridge, abruptlJ drop off to the level of
flanking marshland. These faults have bf:-;n check<;d by oil wells and they
are known to L1volve a displacement of sev-:-:ral hundr.:::d at depth in
subsurface.
26. Salt dome structures. In !J..ddi tion to the major downwarping
toward the Gulf Coast Geos_yncliEe f:nJ ti1e pat tern which hn.s
developed as downwarpine progrt;.ssr;d, t.hcre -?..r.,; !nany salt dome structures
in co-:1stal Louisir:illa. of these

now ;Jroduce oil and art3

located on pla.te 10. Tney are gent;r:::.lly .::;irr::ul3.r in plan and are under-
lain by srtl t at ve1.rying 0utst;:n
1
.D!1[ . .mo:1g the i;j 0lt dome structures
are the ''Fivo Islands" w1der v.hich th.:: m.:tss o:::curs .::;lose to the surface.
The structural movements under th2se "islands" hav(; been great enough to
upn1rp the surface to form e' r-ch li1GU!lrl.S -..:h..!..ch are 3.lit-;.n,Jd along a nearly
straight axis. Four of tL:: sr.::.lt io::.e islands and their alienmr:;nt
along the "Five Island" str
1
1ct;ll'.'il ax:Ls :.:..re shmvn on plates 2 and 10.
structures in region may be formed by the upe.rching of salt
ridges uncler the surface. Typlca.l of a feature may Hackberry
Ridge south of Lake This upctr..;hi;lp, involves the Plei-stocene
surfacG 'ind is crossed by the upp:ar part of Calcasieu L:1.ke.
GEOLOGICAL P.ISTORY
27. G;:::nercli ccnsidera.t.io :s. A study vf the surface featur<::s and the
subsurface sedimentary rnssJS in coastal Louisi<ill:J. permitted the recon-
struction of th..:: late geolo.:;ic :1.1 hi stor;r of th1.;; as shown on plate
11. The geologlcal history is o. I't:cord 0f th.:J construction ru1d destruction
of deltaic plain ts, 2.nd the shj ftin,; of shcre lines which has taken
place as se!J. level WJ.S alt.jrn?.tcly raised '1nd by the melting and
accumulation of icc: rr.a.sses. The c:hronolo._;y of late Pleistocene
(Glaci3.1) anrl. time, fro-;1 th(:; e.J.rly Wisconsin Gl!J.cin.l to the
present is shovm on diagram 7 of plati; 11. The stages in the
history are shown on diagra.rns 1-6 A.nd the 9eriod ':klich ench ctiagrMl represents
is on 7.
28. L1i ti<:.l. construct i..on of r N!.iri (; del plnn ( inter-
tht.: cmd of t.hE: intergl1.ci3.l staGe sea levul
h::id ris0n ne[:rly to its !"'rl::C::E:;nt p)sition. The shorclint of
Louisiana vns inland. of its res2nt !=<D3i tion, b8ing in north
.. JlSSISSIPPI
')? L I B A _;: Y /6, .0 3 i:,
._ '
- < :' !lJ{ll
.of T line b::;tv;een Lake. Pontchartrain on the and Lake Charles on the
v;;::;st ( se
0
diagram 1, plate ll) By this time .the Eississippi and .Red
were already. beginning to_build their plains beyond the
iT3.rgins of this east-vrcst line.
29. Pr.:tirie !led Ri vtjr col 10 ( st.:mding S\03. level of inter-
!Zla.cial stage). With sea no longer rising, the ned River e.nd the
Mississippi River rapidly built their deposits into _th0 Gulf
md 3. broc.d plain-was construct0d (see 2, plate 11). The
Red R.ivl.!r occupied many diffsrcnt courses during time and bUilt out
its alluvial cone southw...:st into the Gulf 'lS a part of tbj_s deltaic plain.
The sea surrounded this cone on the west, south and on the east-where it
sei-1arate::i the River from the meander belt of the Eississippi River
.
30. DevelopmP.nt of Vermilion of the Prairie !:lississippi
Late in Peorian tiJae, while sh. re. line v1::is actively advancing sea-
ward, the Mississippi River was diverted from its course far upstream
and established a new course ilnd meander helt bet\'feen its older position
and the Red River alluvial ccne. Traces of this r'leander bP.lt are found
in the l!arksville Hills and on the Prairie terrace from Opelousas to.
central Vermilion Parish. An import::mt feature of episode in local
history w.1.s the capture of the Red :liver by 1:1igration of the
Mississippi. The Red Ri v"er never atain flowed independt:"'ltly to the Gulf
during Prairie time. At peak of its develop;nent, the Vermilion delta
of the Mississippi Hi ver i ext.;nd'3d ':Jeyond the present shoreline .
to the edge of the contine:J.t:ll :5helf ( diagram 3, plate 11). This
opinion is based on the fact tho. t the o.1ly traces of the Mississippi
Hiver left in Vermilion Parish are cf a widely meandering stream.
Similar traces along the mo:..tern :.[ississippi R.i ver a.re not found closer
ti1an 150 miles above the Head of Passes. It is concluded therefore that
the mouth of the Prairie I.:issis;;ippi 1li ver lay a great distance south of
the Vermilion Parish traces of its channel.
31. Terrebonne delta of Prairie Mississippi River, Another great
change occurred late in the co:1struction of the Prairie deltaic plain
vmen the Ifississippi Hi vt:r again shifted. its course to. the east and
constructed a delta seaward of the area 1:h.i.ch is new Terrebonne Parish,
(see diagram 4, plate 11). Ther<:! o.re two reasons for assuming that this
shift occurred and for establishing its position. The Vermilion-Miss-
issippi meancter belt is cut into on its eastern side in the Marksville
Hills area by a younger series of meander scars of ?rairie age. "
relationship shows that the Hississippi River had a young,::r course than
the Vf;rmilion and thn.t it flowed t,o the east of the Vermilion meander
belt. The second reason for interJ.Jreting an eastv:ard shift of the
z.ti.ssissippi River is that the stream. had to have such a position
east of the Vermilion meand.:,r belt ia order t) become entrenched
it did during the Late Wisconsin [Slacial stage.
32. Entrenchr;1ent of str-2arr!3 (late Gle.cial eriod lowering :Jf sea
lev:l). The lowerin5 of sea lev,-'1 in the late '.'Jisconsin Glacial stage,
as lCt: masses accumulat.=;d on the lanct, \'.'as sufficient to cause the Miss-
issippi !liver to incised in a valley over 400 feet dtep (see
di3.gram 5, 11). '/fnile the master stream vms downcut all other
28
stre<uns entering the Gulf were also c;ntrenching the continental margin.
This erosion by stre.::1.r.1s during the time of lowered sea level undoubtedly
made the entire coastal plo.in a very ru[ged region. It is entirely pos-
sible that the submarine canyon south a'1d west of the present Mississippi
delta records the distal end of the ;:is;.oissippi River trench. Elsewhere
all trenches on the contincnV1l shelf covered and record of them is
missing. Subsequent to the late Wisconsin glacial loweringof the sea,
Recent tirne start3d with melting of the ice sheets. 3-feltwaters raised
occ:anic :Level and the valley began to fill. Filling is still in progress
in m.311y regicns where rise in sea level rapid to flood
valleys rmd form.estuarics.
33. n.i of rr;a.rshlanrl devclc:c::--.ent during time cf standing sea
level. Th.e coc-.. stc..l belt has )C0!1 entirely for:!led a general
pr(.)fTadation of the shore since the s..::a .:.as been its r.:r...:sent
elevJ.tion becauS2 all laDds in the marsh b<=lt have s-::a levJl eleva-
tions. However, the history of the rc':.on since sea level has reached
its stand records a complex altc;rnc::.ticn of advances and retrJats of the
s0a. The shore has .shifted S"3aY.,,,..ird wh::nevcr there <ms a:1 influx of sedi-
ments or it has been forc:d inl<:..'ld by e.ttack a.t these tir::.es when
sedimr-nts were not r:J.pidly to shoal t!-1<; Gulf bottom.
it was inland the p:>sition markdd
by b'3ach ridgas or oth7-r indications :f shoreline posi tioa now visible
on photographs and m.:tJ_s. :'lhenever rl,_Ned S0a't;ard it left a record
of Sea r:1arsh growth c.!.h0'1Q of previously for:nl!d ;)c;<:Gl: ridge or a
rc:cord of slow rJi:-;conti:mous out:JuilciLlg in nc-.rrov: clos(;ly-sp<::ced
history is at t sur fac.:. in the position of
ch.enieres and int..;rv:..::n.L!g ar..;e:.s :'nd is am;:;ly aocwn::mt{;d by the
changes in unYiron.r..ents shm>!n in the subsurface sedL.rr..:=nts. The cro.ss
S<:!Ctions of L1e ch;:;nieres and i1..;:c._nt b<;ach(;s ;Jroof that e.s each
transgression cf the s0a occurrel, it not only a reccrd of its land-
ward lirni t cf adv.:-tnc.; in the Leach d ... ts it left of the
a dr:;posit of riistincti V0 Gulf hot tom sedL:L r1ts. Each retreat
of -:...he sea is Larked by mud flc.t deposits vri th diagnostic faunas which
r .. .::.n .influx of s<:;climent broul1t to th..:; by I11arine cUl-rents
a.11d built Uf to Sea growth of plants CODV2rted it to sea.
marsh.
a. Initial silor..;line. Ti1roughout t.h<j period of r1s1ng sea
tht:: huge mass:;s of sc:dirnc:1ts laid dm.rn &t th<; shorc;linc caus0d a
low but appreciable subsidence of the land\vard edge of the ter-
rc:..ce. As the sea advanc.:;d inland across +>he slopil:.f it vras forced
to plane away by means of attack increA.sincly p:reatl3r
of the toup;h, oxidizod <.:nd weu.th0red surfG.Ci::.. .l'!ltcrl<us. The sea advar1ce
thc..refore hecrune progressively slo'nC;r c< ..s l"avc attack bccr:.rne less
effective, be.::tches deV3loped and shorermrd :1clVat1CC of the Sea gradually
h'.lte:d. When sea level ree>.ched its st;.nd shcrelin(;! to recede
to po[;ition halfway betvrecn t:1,; inn8r edge of th.:: mo.r3hl;::nd and the
mod-;rn shore before st,...1bili ty .v:1.s reac!lcd.,. The innerr.1os t b...;ach ridg,.;s of
the ct::;nt r.:.l e&stt:rn chc:niGre .r:rou8, Little Cherd Grc, Little Pecan
Islt.!Ild (w.=::stern), Lost Isl;:md n'Jrth of Islr'.!1d, c::.:1d 3ellc Isl...;
the f[irth.:.;st inlmd EtdVR.nce of t!1e sdt durimr th(; st::gc.: of risi.na: ;_;ea
level. The mr'.rsh that devt.loped (north) of this .first
29
i
systc::m is rn:linly of fresh wat . .;r ;:nd W'1S built up from river and
lake deposits both duriJig and subsequent to the ):..eriod of risi!1g sea
b. Ini ti.U out.,.rowth of mf'rshlands. The first stc>.ge in the
outgrowth of the r.l!ld fl:.:.t brought
to the areJ. from the T2che d..;lta of tht:; (see di 'lgr::un 6, ;.>late
11). These early forrr.ed flats built vcr:r rt:.pirily se:-twnrd from Belle
Isl-3, porhaps far as Trinity Sho:.tl v:hich apflroxim:.ltely 30 miles
off Chenier nu Tigre (see plt::.te 2). They pinched out towry_rJ Calcasieu
L<'ke where successively formed chenieres converge. i:iud flat develop-:-
ment occurred west of Calcasieu L2-ke wd south of Br.ck Ridge b1it much less
because only minor amounts of sedJmen t were swept westward a.s far
as the Sabine River.
c. Second transgression of So long as tl1e Hississippi
iliver r':r .. .ai11ed in its Tech3 the mud flats co11tin11ed to
develop anc: r.he shoi. .. e gradu:::tlly .r.1e:ved .. ,.<lfw.:'..rd but -v.hen the ri shLi'ted
to its Lafourche delta on the ti:P irflux of sediment was greatly
diminished a'1d the se3. began to ';nc1'oach 1:.pon the land (see diagr3lll 6,
plate 11). This second 1:1arine v::ts by the destruc.:..
tion of rr1.Jst of the area <ls f.::.r east as a'l Tigre ':!hich
previously developed by grc.Nlth of .':lEd flats. The tr3ns&rs:sion was halted
along the extensive be;.:..ch sr.:;te:.i raark2d b;.r O..k Grove Pid.ce, Gr.md Cheniere,
and Pecan Island.
d. Present sb-Jrelillc c:eve;loun<.;ut. With the eastward shift- of
the ::ississippi rt.i ver to : ts ;--res::'1t the T.Jaf:Jur'.:!r!e <ffiri Tecl:e delta
plains v.rere far removed. from acti V'3 seri_i::;entati:-:n r:L:d the r5.ver began to .
con.struct its St. Bernard and :nodf..:rn lelLas (see dia,:zram 6, pl:!te 11}.
Under the influence of gradual 1'egionc.l S1J})si ::ier1ce the sea\':.-:.rrl ;narg-ins
of the older deltas t,.;gan to te destro;red by wave Lttc.ck. As this
r::arine attack p.cogres;:;ed, great i ..1den+,at.i.o:1s 311ch as Vermilion a..'1d Cote
3la!iche Bays developed a:1d only remnar1ts of thr: former vd.desprec-.d deltaic
pl:rins ex,_st in Island and similar 'Jut s:Ja.ller offshore islands.
'11-:.? shoal areas such as Tiget, Trinity and Ship s10als indicate
thl] former extent of tht.: rlc:lta pl:::dns. Sediments derived from
land destruction have be8n <:nd of it ca.rne to rBst.
along the shore of Louisiana. The shor8lines seaward
of Grand Cheniere and Pecan Island prcvide f:Vid ence of :1 slow accretion
so,_tth of the c::;utral CJ.nd eistern belts. shor2lines between
the _:.;j:.C:;r:nentau R.i ver 3.nd Ch3nier au Tj_gre crmv.rge both to the east and
to ths w0st (see map, 2). ':'his indic:ates that mud
flat sediments were loc.s.lly aerivcd of \;11enier au Tigre :md were
c1rried wcstvrard to t.hc sit.;;: of :nud flat deposition south cf \:'n1ite Lake.
The currents responsibl.:.:: this transi\.r cf may have bet;n
set ur t.hrol!gh Southwest Fass, a v ::.r:r active tidCJ.l ehmmel on the .<Jouth
side of V2rcilion Bay. Sedir.1cmts 11til::zed in thj_s epoch .;f deposition
m:jy bz.!l!n derived fiorn th2 of Vermilion and ';lest Cote
3lanche as ':Tell as front <:::. 6I'E.J11al destr11ctivn uf Island mid
adjacent areas. At tho;.; ti;ac l:.ttle sediment is :tccumulating in
the ar . .:'a and the recc!ntly for;:wd i:;ud flat.3 along tilt; 3hore south of White
Lc.J:e arc; being d0stroyed t).;; \FJ.VC:. 8rvsiun. Fine sediments. thus
arc s\rept Wt..:stward ,'3.!1d :.Wk\..:' up the a.ctivt:ly mud flats seaward
of Car:eron
30
e. DeveloDment of the raarshland west of th? c:ilcasieu River.
The distribution of the chenieres v:.:::st of th.:.; Calca.sieu River iudicates
comparative stability of the shore. Only a. gradual has .
place since the initial acctunulation of sediments from the.east
during Teche-Mississippi tLr:e. The chenieres .snd shorGline. positions
convc;rge toward the Calcc.sieu Riv0r and also toward tho Sabine River and
prove that outbuilding of the: shore in this 0.rea is almost wholly related
to mud. flat deposits of Sabine Rivr.::r. B0tween Ocean View .!lnd
Cucasieu P.:1ss, the mat:"shLmds ar,e being destroyed by r7l[.rine
erosion.
f. River The posi tiom of the and Mer-
mentau Iliv . ...:r courses ''i th to :n.:J.rshland feature::1 also help to
inter::..ret tl1e historY of n;arshl[.'1d devc.loo:.,'lcnt. Both the lower ;.rer;nentau
and C3.lcasi-.:u :u ver courses h3.ve existed in their orcsent general
position since the initial epoch of nuj t dcposi tion. Their rrtouths
have bt: -2n extended seaward while the c!:. .. niere systems hav,3 b:;en developed.
This is knmvn secoridary sxt:.nsions of the chenicres swi:1g in-
land tovm.rd the ri v<:r in tht swrh.: !::mnt-.:I' that modern bcaclles also curve
in tov:ard the ri V:;r mouths. The grov:t!1 of _ ".-.;h Leach has shifted the
mouth of the stre:uns either e:.::.stward or along the shore. The
mouth of the Mermt3ntau lliver, sL1ee its initial position was established
at the Gulf shore; n:.:;<,r Lit tl.;; Cheni..;re, has shlft..:;d westvnrd 15 miles while
the lovrGr has bc::;n e.x.t . .:;ndc;d s-.;a.-:urd. In the case. of the Cal-
casieu Riv1:3r, mn.rine tr;:.nsrT-JS.:..ioa cr..:.ptured the ,:lP'JroximB.tely 20
miles cast of its rr.outh w.;st of View Beach.
The p ..... riod when this c:.:ptur8 occurr..;d . .:;arly in the history of marsh-
land d.:.:v ..... lopm.:;nt. It occurred .i'.lrirl a :1urine transg1ession which is now
markoci by the Oak Grovl; RiJgu-Grc.nd IsL:nd shore. The
capture Vl3.S subsequ;.;nt to thl::! dt::vclopra;mt of tho Littll..! Chcmier0 system,
the ends of c-.11 lying so1.. .. th of P .:rdue in the
coP..ste.l section curv..; toward the pr_;s.Jnt CtlCc-!.SiL!u Ri v,jr and
dufini tely formed at :211 earlier period thr-:..n Lit tlc Because the
abandow:;d western course of ti'te Calcasieu is trapped behind the Blue 3uck
Ridge it is possible to this ridt;:e th a cheniere at least as
old as Cheniere Perdue in the central cheniere This correlation
also indicates that shoreline ch:1nges have occurred much more rapidly
east of the Calcasieu River than e.nJ that Holly Beach and Peveto
Beach west of the Calcasieu River represent accumulations whj_ch mark a
long period of slow marine transgression whic:1 l1as teen occurring v:hile
the land has been building cut Rlons the mouth of tLe Sahine Hiver.
PART II
GEOIDGY OF
A?JD CO:ITHOL STRUCTURE SITES--
. _ Al'TD. __
CHANNEL H":PROV r1XEN T AREAS
34. The following paragraphs presen-t inforr.1ation .
concerning the geology of. the specific areas where it ha_s been proposed.
that engineering structures be constructed and v.rhere improvements of
channels are proposed. The main purpose of these local studies was to
ascertain the nature of subsurface strata at the sites so that the type
of fm.mdation and underseep:ige conditions could be better understood.
the area the firmest a'1d most u:1iform foundation !'laterials
were found to be the oxidized beds at the upper surface of the buried
Prairie for::1ation. This surface is a irregular one so contour maps
were prepared for each site. Because fow1da.tions will extend into the
Prairie formation, the only undersee nase conditions c)nsidered are those
vEru.ch might arise from )ermeable beds wi. thin the fornation. Interpreta-
tions of geological ::::c)ndi tions presented herein are based on data derived
from samples and lor,s of borings a'1d upon considerations of the general
geology of the region as presented in Part I. Cross sections for each
site divide the sedimentary section into different enviroruaents of
deposition and show the :1a tl:re of loc:-:.1 stratification. The several
areas for which investigations were made are the proposed
and control str'.lcture sitc:s along the Mermentau River, the Schooner
Bayou control structure .site, the: channel improvement areas
the r.Ier:nE.:ntau R.ivAr and aloilg th(.:; Intracoastal Vlatc:rway between White and
Grand La:C.es, and betwec:n Vmi te Lake and Vermilion Bay.
35. The !.lfcrrn,:::ntau Ri v0:r si tc:s. Sites studied for the proposed con-
trol structures alone the= Mermentau Riv_;r are the Catfish Point site, mile.
24, near \\There the River leaves Grand L3.ke; the Little Cheniere
site, near mile 19; the Grand Cheniere site no. 2, nee.r mile 9; d!ld Grand
Cheniere site no. 1, river mile 6.3, west of Grand Cheniere, La. In
addition a general study of the geology of the River channel
has been made. A map showing the configuration of trw buried Pleisto-
cene surface throughout the entire Eermentau Riv\jr region was also pre-
pared and is shown on plate 12. Generalized cross sections showing the
nature and distribution of sediments in the area are presented on plates
13 and 14.
a. C::::.tfish Point control structure site. The location of the
proposed cot1trol structure :=md dike &.t Catfish Point is shovm on the
location map, plate 15, and is pictured on the photograph, figure 6. The
nature and distribution of sedir;.ents the site .'ire shovm on the cross
sections A-A' and B-3' of plate 16. The site fells within marshlands ap-
proximatt::ly halfway between t:1e coa::::t the Fr!llrie terrace upland and
is locE:.terl v:i thin a s:tort distance of Gr<'md Like at the upper end of the
lower 1 .. ierr:1en River (see figure 6).
MUD LAKE
Lltt\ e
chen
i I
GRAN
Figure 6. View of the Mermentau River below Grand Lake showing the position oi the proposed Catfish Point ccPtrcl structure:
(1) Stratigraphy. The location of the control structure,
as prop6sed is in ari .:1.rea nnderlain by a thin section of Recent marsh
deposits; a' to 15 thick, and the underlying weathered Pleistocene .
Prairie formation. The Recent deposits are principally silty clays and
clays with minor lentils of sands and silts in the upper 3.5 feet. They.
have a water cont8nt vmich varies from 20% to 100% (dry Ymight) and a
g(:C:nerally high organic contont with roots ;:nd humus in the .upper .few feet .
Recent deposits unconformably ovBrlio oxidi.zed mottled brovmish-gray and
yellow-brown clays 311d silty clays ;-d th locd lentils of sand which
occur in the Prairie formation. The Pleistocene beds form a section of
int0rfingering fluviatile and brackish v1c.ter deposits .:ith a known thick..:.
ness of over 70 fuet.. Sunples studied indicate the.t water content .
of those deposits varies from 20% to 35% (dry weight) and is much lower
thC":.ri that of the overlying Recent deposits. . The of organic
material in these older sediments is 2-lso lower than thc-.t found in the
deposits above.
( 2) Prairi .; surf:\c.;;;. Eighteen borings were made at
th.:; proposed site. Frora thc;s,:: bori.:1gs it to construct the
contour map which pres..:nts the irregulari tics on t:1:: Pleistocene
surface, the top of the Prnirie formr.tion. These irregulnri ties can .be
resolved into two nJ.nor erosional c!r .. nnels such D.s havo been contoured on
plate 15.
(3) Found;-.tion conditions. The Catfish Point
control structure site be;,_m tested by borings to
the geology .-:>..nd the: founution cc!1ai :.io:1s. They nr.3 considered to be as
good be exrectc..:d tc occur in the :1arshl1.nds. Not only are
the firmest sedimeuts, oxidiz,;d Jtlc:.t..;rials, clos0 to the
surface in this .3J'ea, but here thr.oy t.r.vt:: a low uat.:;r content, .. md are
little erod-.;d nhc:n compared with ar8as to the south. There gre no highly
permeable beds in the upper p:lrt of the Frn.irie; which would >resL!nt avenues
for underseepage.
b. Little C:!eniere control structure sit.;. The proposed site
for the Little Cheniere CO'ltrol structure crosses Little Cheniere ridge
at its eastern end v:here it an elevatiC'n of abont 9 feet above
sea level (see diagram, plate 3). The site is located atproxirriately
1000 feet west of 7.he Hermentau R.i VE:r, mile 19, md is 2;:! rni les south of
t:1e proposed Catfish Point site. Three borinf.is .aade at the Little
Cheniere site penetrated into the underlying Prairie formation at eleva-
tions varying from 15 to 18 below sea level. In addition to these
borings, four ::other shallower on3S r.1ade in the Merr,lentau River,
three of vmich also penetrated the Pleistocene deposits at
elevations varying from 17 to 18 feet belovl sea level.. The positions of
these borings a.nd the general layering of strata vrhich they penetrated
are shovm on the rn.ap and cross section of plate 17.
(1) Stratigraphy. The borings sho\'; that 16 feet of sands
a'1d shells nnderlie Litt.le Cheniere at its highest point, The base of
the shells has settled into the underlying marsh sediments (see plate 3).
They also show that r.arsh sediments vrhich accumulated since cheniere
formation have buried both its landward and seaward margins so that only
33
the original high arts of the ridge protrude above the-; ':larshland
face. Althoueh no definite information.concerning the water content
. of the Recent deposits is known, the evidence of settlement of the
cheriiere that the was originally hieh: The only
information concerning the Ui>dcrlyinG Pleistocene clays lS that they are
arJd that thev were harder to drill thrui the overlying Recent
deposits. It is considered therefore that they very similar to the
Pleistocene sediments encout1tcred elsewhere in the region;
(2) FoW1d8.tion and seeoaP'e The Little.Cheniere
site offers nearly the same foundation conditions as have been tested at
the Catfish Point site. Jiowever, as indicated by the contours on the top
of the Prairie formation, the best fou1dation 1naterials <1re located seve-
ral feet deeper than at Catfish Point. Furtherr.1ore, the site has tha
added disadvantage of being several f,;.:;t sea level which would en ...
tail more excavation than at Catfish Point. The borings did not penetrate
the Prairie formation to sufficient to determine underseepage
conditions.
c. Grand ChenL.;re si-t8 n0. 2. T11is Gite i.s located on the south
side of the R.i. ver at mile 9 the la11Jward toe of Grand
Cheniere ridge and the river, anG. is :.::los(.: tu thE to-;;n of Gre.nd Cheniere.
For the general location see plQte 12, c.nd for a det'iiled location map
see plate 13. Section A-A' of r:,l.;tc 18 .c.:m<ts c.he general subsurface
conditions as interpreted from \:.he 3 d.:ep tx.,rings end 3 shallow borings
made in close proximity to the site. S . .:!cticms D-D' r.1.r1d E-E' of plat3
13 shows general east-west ::l!ld ncrr-h-so:_tth cross s-.,ctions tLraugh the
area.
(l) The propost.;d Griilld Cheniere site no. 2
is located in an ares. -..here the Recent vary in thickness from
20 to 30 feet and ov_rlie a buried Pluistoc,_me surface of considerable
relief. The proposed si tG is situated ,,'ithin '1 bend of the Mermentau
Ri vcr, which is gradually but actively advancing northw:..rd <=md has left
l.Jehind sand and E"ilty sand acc.r(:tions. These accretions extend to an
eleva :.ion of approximately 15 f.:et below sGa level c> .nd are overlain by
a 5 foot layer of silty clay and clay containing ov'3r 10% hwnus. The
clays helVe a water content .rar:.ring from 65% to (dry '.eir;ht.). The
sandy ,arts of the rivGr accretions r:.ry from 5 to 15 fc et in thickness,
little hurnus, and hold local silty h :ds v.ith a fairly low
content, varying fro:n 30% to 431 (dry weight). Local clay L:;ntils are
also found and they contain 25% to 30;:: hwnus b9. v _; 3. corr.;spondingly
hit:;h water content. The a.::cretio:1.s were (};::posited on a layer of silty
sands and silty clays containing shells v;h:.ch varies in thickness from
3 to 10 feet. These beds contdn 40% to 60% He.'. tl)r (dry weight) n.nd over-
lie the oxidized Pleistocene The: deposits of the Pleistocene
Prairie formation h:..ve b,:en penetre1t2d to a depth of 30 fe8t at the site,
are well oxidized :-illd h::t.vc a content varying from 25%
to (dry weight).
( 2)
1
3lui cd PLds toc;.:;ne surface. Local buri cd v:llleys in
the Prairi....: formation '-lre kr1c.;wn to e..xt ..md to d cpths of over 60 ft:ct just
to the c:CJ.st of th.- te (see JJla.te 12). The several borings at th-: site
34
show that it is located on ad.ivide'between two southward sloping buried_
trenches, and is-a fn.irly regular buried surface. One of
heads beneath Grand Cheniere and slopas northward away from the central
part of. the. site. The known local relief at the situ is very slight,
however, being more than 10 feet.
(3) Foundr:tion and The best foimdation
afforded in the arua are those of the buried surface
which occurs at eleve.tions only slightly lower than at the Ui-,tle Cheniere
site. The sandy which occur in the accretions abov_e the Prairie
forraation mit;ht provide a suitable foundation but should be more adequately
tested since deposits generally highly lenticular and
variable in th.:.dr nature. Furthermore, these accreti.onary dGjxJsits rest
upon a layer of clays shc:lls v:ith a high water content rThich 1vould .
rrovide little stability. Recent deposits at the center of the site (see
_ section A-A , plate 18) come in close contact vr.i. th a porous lc:ntil of
SMd and shells in the Prairie f'onnation. Tnt:! 1 wight ?rovide an
avvnue for w1derseep.:1.ge but its tiire t:.nd distribution have not been
adequately.testcd.
d. Chenier,;; lock ;:;.nd cor.trol structt:re site. This pro-
posed site is located oa the side of the Mermentau Rive:r in irregu-
.lur- river accretion topography which in elev-..tion from 1 to 5
feet :::.bove sea levz.:l (see f:lgure 5). The si tc.; area. is the sea-
ward toa of Oak Ridgo chcnit;re, c-.:.nd is ::pproxin<:ltt:;ly miles west
of Grand Chcni,.:!re site no. 2, ::ad ne_:.r river mill; 6.3. Its general loca-
tion is shown on ;--l<:te 12 3Ild a map is shown on plate 19
Cross sections shovring the of the sediments in borings
at the site ,!lr<-3 shown on both plates 19 and 20.
( 1) Strc:.tigraph;r. rt8cent scdi:it<',n ts il'lving a total thick-
ness from 20 to 25 feet oxidized s0din1cnts of the Prairie
for!ilation at the lock si t0 are::-. _ A of Recent clays and silty
clays averaging 5 fe..!t in thiclrJ1ess :J.nd co!1tcining loc::l. thin surficial
lentils of SC"Ild and detritus cov.ors t,he site These clays
are in color nnd hB.ve a hi8h humus content. Their moisture
content varies from 40% to 112% (dry weight). J.. substrc.tum of Recent
deposits consists of cill upper le.yer of poorly compacted. clr.ys and silty
cl[lys, with high contents, r:mging in thickness from 4 to 12 feet;
a middle l::.yer of s -.Jld shell detritus varying from 6 to 18 feet in
thickness, e.n undc;rlyint; layer of blue-gr::y clc:ys
1
silty clays, silty
sands, ['.nd silts with a v;e.ter conteat of .3.3% to 54% (dry weight}
which varies in thicknc:is from 5 to 20 feet. R.:neath the Recent deposits
are the firmer, oY..idized Pleistocene sedi!:lcnts which have [!. lower water
content do the deposits. from the Frairie
shovr of its upp(;r mass was of Red Riv.;r origin with silty sand,
clays ana Sll ty -cl::>.ys marking old che.nncl ::md backswamp deposits which
v1ere built out upon a dc1t?..ic ::r1d down close to sea l&vel.
( 2) Origin of dBposi ts. Tht:; nature and layering
of th..:: Recent sDdim.mts at Gr2!ld Cheniere lock Md co'1trol structure
site differ from that of other in the presunce of a shell
l.s.yer toward the br-..su of the section. This sht-11 has a flat
35
bottom at an elevation of l8 ft::ct below sea and n. fairlT irregular
upper by mud fl3t The
of the surface deposits alco from those of all other These
deposits are thin sc;nd lentils 1.mi?h above th? marshes. as
low ridge;s vihich are 2ligned W1. th on .3rcuate llnear pattern
typic:1l of ri v.:r accretions, figure 5. It is probable that each sand
ridge marks a deposit laid dow:1 during high water stages brought on by
Gulf storms, and.that the series was developed over a long time.
(3) Origin of buried sru1d-shell laver. Tne bottom of the
subsurface layer of sand and shells lies only a fe\f feet below the maxi!nillll
depth of scouring within bends on the modern Mermentau River and it is
believed tr1at the sands and shells a1e reworked cheniere deposits laid
dovm as river accretions v.i. thin an enlargi11g bend of the Mermentau. They
represent the coarser bed load sedi::lents when deposited in deep
water, becante covered vlith a mud layer c;:.mtaining shells. The mode of
deposition of both the coarse fine de.f)Osits can be explained on the
basis of lcJcal present day activity of the !liver. Oak Grove
Ridge cheniere is being destroyed by Lci.gration of the
River and it supplies shell detritus and sand for a S
1
Ibaqueous. bar im-.
mediately do-wnstream. As the be:ld shifts, t
1
1e s&nds are blL.-.ied .beneath
an accumulation of fine mads ctnd shel.ls laid do:;n as t.idal flat deposits.
The entire accretion depo:Jit.s advancL1G lJe!ldar..; snown on section
A-A', plate 19, Tr.e grovrth of this ::errrte:'ltau Iliver bend Las bee:n continuing
for a long ti.t1e and it is probo.ble ti,a t the initial started .
to develop at a ti::1e when the sh)relin.?. was close to Oak Grove Ridge
cheniere. Some of the CJrigin:J.l deposits of sand and shell nhich have been
reworked by the river may h':Ve be:.:-;n river mouth bal."' materials. Hmrever,
the shell lay8r as :tt exists could not be such a deposit because bars
are built sea' 'ard into shallow marine vvatl";r.
(4) Buried Plei stocer.e surface. Ihf.: oxidize::! Prairie
formation occurs throughout the site ::1.t depths var;:.ring b0twcen 20 and 25
feet. As interpreted, the site is located on the fl.ru1k of a der::p buried
trench in the Prairie surface that heads near the southeast end of the
proposed control structure, see rt!gional cc!1tour map, plate 12. 'll1e
detailed contour m:tp of the site (plate 19) shows a general lack of local
erosional rd.thin the c._ntrol ctrucb.Ire ar.;;,q_ and L1dicatBs
that the buried has very low relief.
( 5) FoundA.tio!1 a11d .Setnat.J conditions. The pr0senCD of
the thick sand mass of Rect:nt a...;c in the subsurface lndlcates a pos-
sibili ty of slightly found-:ttion conditions ;:;.t thls than those
v;hict exist at Grand Chenier:: site no. 2. However, thescl so..1ds are
underl:1in by an irregular thickness of cle.ys and silty clays '.'i. th fairly
high water contents v;hich could weaken .:-t structur) b:J.sed in the over-
lying sand. I .. s at the other sites, the best is .considered to
be the oxidized rrtatc.:rials of the Prairie fo1mation. Thase. occur at
slie:htly lo.ver elevations below l8vel ti1a'1 at the other sites. The
pos.sibility of is more pronounced at the Grand Cheniere
site than 3-t any 'Jther of the Riv,.Jr sit,;s. The cross sections
md C-C', 20, show lenticular se..nd, silty sG.nd and
beds ;Tithin the u;.p8r part of the Prairie "r'fhich op0ratc
as zo:1es of 1mders.:::c:page.
36
36. Schooner Bayou control structure site. This site is to be
located ju3t .1orth of th7 existing lock shovm on plate 21 and is pictured
in the figure 7. Its position is about 3 miles vmst of the
western end of Vermilion Bay u.nd in the marshlands between two remnants
of the Prairie terrace, I.ittle Prairie R dge on the v:est and. Grophes
Island on the northeast. 'I'l1e region is one of a generally thin Recent
.section ov0rlying a badly dissected, buried Pleistocene surface. Sub-
. surface contours on plate 21 the erosional irregularities in
the Prairie formation and indicate that the site falls within a flat,
com
1
)a.rati vely little dissected area on the main divide between the heads
of minor stre3llls flowing southwestward and eastward. The site is ap-
pr)ximately at the cres of this buried divide and is therefore underlain
by as thin a topstratum of Recent sediments as . could be expected anywhere
in the marshlands.
a. The nature distribution of Recent and
Pleistocene sediments within the area shmm on plate 21 are presented on
the generalized cross sections of plates 22 and 23. A map of the local
area of the control structure and the nature of the sediments underlying
it are. shown on plates 24 and 25 respectively. The Recent deposits have
a highly irregular thickness varyinc from 5 to 35 feet throughout the
area as a whole. There is everY\'.'here a topstratum of clays and silty
clays, interbedded :,ith layers of peat and humus, ;thicr. varies in thick-
ness from 10 to 25 feet. These are mainly fresh v;at:.:r marsh deposits
which vary from gray to brom1ish-gray and black in color and have measured
water contents varying from to 843% (dry weight). In addition to
the peat lay8rs, the content of these sediments is high, vary-
ing from 5% to 45%. The topstratum ov;..:rlies a aass of gray and shell-
bearing mottled gray-brown cl.:-.ys, silty clays e ....r1d clayey silts which
averHgc from 5 to 20 feet in thickness. These deposits have water con-
. tents varying from 4CJ% to 260% dry weight .snd also have a high htl!!lus con-
tent varying from 5 to );)_:;. At the lock site the cof!lbined thickness of
the organic rich topstratum and the underlyi :g sliehtly morJ compact clays
is from 12 to 15 feet.
b. deoosits. A 70 foot section of deposits of the
buried Prairie forma.tion have been encountered in oorin;-ss at the lock
site. ElseHhere in the Schooner Bayou reeion, the deepest )netration
of the is :tppr.:-xi.,tately 30 feet. These borint,s provide evidence
from samples th3.t the lrairi e is an ancient Pleistocene deltaic
plain deposit of the l:ississippi River, v,ri th the uppermost beds being
laid down as a floodplai:-1 ne2r the margin of the river channel. The silty
sa.nd and sand lentils 1:my repre:.:;ent natural deposits interfingering
with sedime:nts. The uppermost beds are bG.dly oxidized
gray and mottled gray-brm:m clays c.nd maintain a nearly constant thick-
ness of 25 feet !:i.t control structure site. They have a low water
content, from 20% to 30% (dry w0ight), :md contain cnlcltun carbonate
nodules throughout the lower JXLrt of These deposits
were laid do;.n upon a 15 foot layer of silty clays and clays, vdth a
slightly higher water content which contain fossil cl;:un shells that
indicate a brackish \'leter lake an:l bs.y environment of deposition. Beneath
thase brackish water de_pc,si ts is J. 5 foot ln.yer of marsh deposits which
contains silty sand, clays, silty clays and local sand lentils only
slightly oxidized. These lower beds have been only' at the
control structure site.
37
-
;:
0
0
.c
u
(./)
u
eJ
C')
0
0..
0
(i
c
0
;::.
c. Buried Pleistocene surface <it control stru.cture site. Ten
borings were at vrid.:..ly sp::.ccd in the aren of the proposed
control These borings all encount8red the buried Pleistocene
surfnce b..::t;;;een 6 .:ind lB feet beneatp the They show th.-.t the
Pleistocene which slopes ::,outhw!"l.rd to be Vely free of
l:!rosioni.l irregul,_ri ties (pln.te 24).
d. Foundation and seenage conditions. Foundation conditions
at the Schooner i3avou site are 3.3 good as co1ld be expected locally
within the marshes: site is underlain by a uniform layer of
poorly compact0d Rec.ent sediments Hhich upon uniformly .md e;ently
seaVIard sloping firm oxidized Pleistocene beds of the Prairie formation
which offer best foundeitl.on conditions in the m;1.rshlar1d area. There
i.3 a pcssibility t:lat the lenticl.llar sands 3.nd silty sand 12ring several
feet below the. to_o of the vd.ll :-<;rmit underseepage at
the cc,ntrol site. Holi.:;ver, are inclosed in reiatively
iml:,ermeable clays and represe:lt the O!lly through which seepage
could take pl1.ce.
37. Chco .. nnel L1mrove:;;ent sites.
a. ch.lrill,:.:l i.rnproveme:1t_. The proposed clw.nnel
ir:lprovemcnts alone; lmver ;jer .. Hi ver irNolve dredeing a channel
within the rivsr to a depth of 15 'eat oelow sea level. The
width of this is to v.:il'y 80 and 170 feGt. Dredging of
the upper part of t:1e river ber-..re8n Gra.r1d Lake aud Grano Cheniere has
already been done a.nd the of t!1e geology along the river .is
confined to the .tion of and factual information
which may ')e of vclue durin:_ -future opera.tions.
(1) Nature of 1.iermtntau l:.i vcr. TLe lov1;;:r Mer;aentau Hiver
is a small tidal stream v.hich cxu.ects Lal-:e \'Iith t;le Gulf. Its
channel is in mlli1Y slo.'rly ,!:.e&nd<.-;rine and has deep scQur pools -;;i th-
in sharp bends. Shallovter areas in th<3 cl1Bru1el oCC!lP in straighter
stretchr:.s bcmds a.nd :;he :r-e the ri v..;r flmlS throngh Upper Fud Lake
ar1d Lower Lake (see pl :itds 2 a:1d 12). stre:l.'11 Las constructed a
bar at its r:.oath l'ihich alr'lo:-:;t to sea level. Cl1annel depths
nortb of tr.Lis bar increase tov:ard. Gre.nd L;:.ke ac1d re<.tch a maximum depth
of approxime.tely ;5 feet at C.;.tfish Bsnd ( SE:tJ plate 12). Titroughout its
lm:er course the river .:"lovis tbr-ough ma.rsi1J.and depo.::-i ts and above Upper
:.Iud Lake the river bands a.re enlarging in marsh silts nnd clays. This
is -.1lso trw:: in the lo:,rer part of t:Jt..; from LoY:er Mud Lake to the
Gulf. Between thE. tno lakes, ri vcr tends are slovtly eroding
old cheniere deposi t!:7 uf sL:.nd, s:::.nd and slH;ll. T!"lroughout its
lt:ngth the botto.n of the river is floor ... by a thin la;/er cf muds and
organic oozE;s vri th a very hit:h w<:.ter content.
(2) sediments e!long the Each slowly
migrating bend of the PJ. Vt;r bas left within its expanding loop
accr.:!tionary deposits of silt:r s::.:1ds, sandy silts silty clays. The
type of accretionary :.1aterial is deterfi'ined by the nature of tne sediments
1-hich cun be eroded in the b::mks .?.J1d carried to the bar downstream,
and by the in tidal flow from Grand Lak:;. 'dher(; the
38
river. is eroding marshlands the dmmstream a:re generally .firier-
graincd than it is erodine into the ch8niere deposit$ or silty sands
and Hi th sh.:!ll detritus. The nature of the sedii!H::nts along the
channel is ..;;hmm on secc1ons D-D
1
&nd E-E', plate 13, and sections F-F'
and G-G', plate l4.. .
(:3) Sh-::11 r';fs Iv!eJrrient:m Ili ver. The !lerm<Jnt3.u
River flows across marshland Sf.:climents doFn as the sea wa.s retreat;
ing from the shore. !narshla.nd s incJrpore.t<:: lake and bay
bot tom deposits v:ith trJ.ck masses .of. shells of the clar:1. Rar1gia an.d
o:lstcrs. Dredging operatio11s encow1t-3r3d: [;orne sht.::ll mass in the .
vicinity of Upp'-.;r Lake c.nd it is to be expected thn.t similar. shell
reefs b(; found in the vicinity of Lower Mild Lake. These sh . .;ll reefs
are distinct .f; .. om the reworked sands P.nd sh0lls in thE; accretion areas.
(L,) Pleistoccn.:; cla "'S in chr>..ru1el. The subsurf.::ce contours
plate 12 shu1Y th;-Glevetion M.S.J:)" to thn top of the tough oxidized
clays of tlw Prairie The0v ::ri-Lls should offer. the rnos.t
opposition to dredt;ing opcr;.ti0!lS, but it is only v;ithin the up;cr few
miles of the channel wtere 1-t:ey occur ::Ithin 15 fciet of the sur.:
face. In most of t.he b:nd.3 this te::::.ia.l :!res been to de;.ths
greater than 15 feet by r:. ver action. r)cction

of 13 :>hows
the relationshir of thss:: to t
1
1G. channel of the !Jer-
rr,entau River. South of :;p_cer ?.!ud th::; structural slope
carried the oxidizE:d :ac-Lt below t.b.: 15 foot of the oro posed

3.. Grand L?..ke to Wh:lte The rroposed Inl.-md Water-
wa:rs ch2.!1il:d is to bt ctr-.;dgad for 6 the eastward
fror:1 Grand Lake to tfhitc- Lake. It will cross Collicou I.a;..c1;,_
and Tartle Lake bcdore entering Lake (see plate 26). The
rGgion is o:1e of C').mplex interfingt:ring of n-.arsh (;nviroruncnts c>nd the
!=roposc:d c::uv:.l \',ill 02 dr-t.:dged to a 6 depth .through a V.'lricty of
shmm on th.;: C!'vS:3 s.;ction of plctte 26.
(l) 0f 3'. Th.:- ur .. St;dimt:nts uf
the mc..rshes betv10 ::n Gr.:::.nd <illd Colli con L,:.kes ar..; d..:;po.:;i ts of satu-
r3.ted silty sand, 2 f :'<::!t thick, \'lhich cnrtt::un E:h3lls of the clam
Thev are unde:rl[lin by 10 foot l-::..7<::1"" of fir1;L.!r denosits or organic
cl3.y silts V'ith a wat(;r content betHe;-:m 35% and 4s% (dry
Beneath this nrt: int2rfiuc brr..ckish w:it,tJr marsh ts which
rust upon tho irregular surfr,ce of th ...: <_,;:idi2Jc.;d Pl(;istocene d'Jposits
and vary in thick:1ess from. 5 to over 15 f,::,!t. On the vrcst si<le of. the
Collicon Lake area, the ,:d.ll b'J dug a surfac:3 layer of peat
overlyi'1g org:mic !'ich cla:}"s 1:ith a ,_.,:,lL:r content v::rying fror11 74% to
112% wcirht). Thvsc cl:y:; h:J_ve peCJ.ty with 25% organic
Tlw d..;posits t'J.ckncss of 10 and ov0rlie brttckish
vmt\:r SEJtim;nt;:; of irrc..zul:r ',hiclm\.JSS. On the: \.:r stC:rn side of
Lnke, a silty lcru3e of nnrsh dJposi ts ri:}aches thickness
of 5 fc:et md int..;rfinc:ers ::;:'..:it ward v!i th brA.ckish derxsi ts.
The wat.:;r cor:tent is :.pproxirwlt:.:ly 65%. TI-.(; rich mnrsh dc:posits
39
beneath this lGnsl have n maximwn content of 244%. from ,
Colli con L:!.ke ucross Turtle Luke to White Lake there is a topstratmn of
peat and peaty clays which v?..ry in thickness from 4 to 7 feet . These
have n water content varying from 73%, to 306% ;-lJld gerie.rally
a loosely compnct..;d nass. They overlie tht: organic which is
found Collicon Lake.
(2) Pr;:irie formation. Tho Prtiric fornLtion between
vv'hite ::ad Gr:-,nd L!lkcs is a highly irregulo.r surf[,Ce which is i'ound at
a mJ.nUtum depth of 15 The tough uateriCJ.ls of .this forr.1:-1tion should
not be encount.::red in dredgine operations.
b. L::lcc to Vl.:rmilion section. Channel improver.:ents
along the Inland W;1t ... betvreen Whi tc Lrk.J .r:nd Vermilion Br.y follow
the old Intracoastal Canalto Schooner Bayou Lock and Schooner Bayou from
Schoo!'wr Bayou Lock to Vcrni.lion Bay ( figure 7). Throughout this
entire area the Recent svdiments along the cru1al clays and silty
clays with high orga.ttic and wat-er contents r'hich were l&id doVvn r.tainly
in fresh vmtcr marshDs. These Recent depo0its vary from 3 to 25 feet in
thickness and ccntain lentils of wat.:.;r lake and bay deposits
only at the westt}rn end of the section. These occur at 1.kpths below 10
feet. The nature and distribution of the Recent sodim.:mts are shown on
section A-Ai, plate 22.
(1) Shallow buried Pleistocene deocsits. The surface of
the Pleistoccme is tladly dissected in thls are;a \d th erosional valleys
headine; across tht: canal site at raany places. The coEfiguration of ,
the buried surface is by thG contours on plate 21 and the position
of th . .; upper surface of t:-:e tough, oxidized Prairie fo.r'Tlation is shown
on section A-:..., plate 22. The Prairie materials reach within a few
fclet of the surface on the divides between thu erosional valleys south
of Little Prairie Ridge (see plate 21) 3!ld midway betw00n Little Prairie
Ridge and Schooner Bayou Lock. It is only at thcs(; tr:o places that
dredging operations should more resistant materials.
39. Conclusions.
a. Of thE.; differ,_mt control structure siL.:s studied along the
Uermentau Ri one mo.st locat..;d from th0 standpoint of
foundation matc:rials and undc;rse;epag..;; conditions is the Catfish Point
site. The oxidized Prairie forr.1ation which offGrs the best foundation
materials is here closer to the 3urface than at ru1y other site. It is
made up of relati vt:ly impcrmeabl...: clays with only minor lenticular masse:?
of silty sands.
b. The Sch.)on...:r 3ayou control structure site appuars to be
as favorably l0cated as is pcssiblc locally in the The area
is underlain by a topstratum of Recent silts and cl:1ys of uniforr.1 thick-
ness and coraposition, and he.s the to .gh Prairi...: formativn close to the
surface to provide fc1w1dation The only difficulty
which can be anticipated at this site is the possibility of seepage
through lentic11lar mass0s of SL:.I1d Ylhich occur 10 f .::ot b. n.:;ath the sur-
face cf the Prairie formation.
c. The nature c-Uld distribution of the sediments along the
proposed chann(;l improv'-:-,lt.:nt areas pres . .::nt no extraordinary geological
conditions which would materially affect dredging operations.
'40
l
I
- -- ...
lEGE NO
0

Ill fMENl
+
$
H[Jifl

s

OIVISIOtl AND
HARD ROADS 0
()!STRICT
GRAVEl ROADS
SUB NEW
--- U.S.LAHO GRID
NIU(Cf-
---.1921---
--
S.WNI'1' _.. to6t, ,..,... te ....,_ t .. w.tof

li'lt""h fm .,....,. C..we,
..........
t..ovt.l....... !l'tfed
............. 'teftt .............

v.u., QvMt-......
0
M t X
c .. o
...
...
GEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION
LOWER MERMENTAU RIVER BASIN
LOCATION MAP
SHEET
PRESIDENT, MISSISSIPPI RIVER COMMISSION
VICKSBURG. MlpS.
TO ACCOMPANY REPORT Of' HAf>LD N FISK,PH D,CONSULTANT
DATED LOUISIANA STAT UNIVERSITY, BATON ROUGE, LA
PLATE
DEPARTMENT
D


D


..
..
I
1 /JIIV/ S - _,.
; ..; {:.
'. : .,
/ :,11/UtiiCE.-u
I . IIJ..
.....
...
... I
-LEGENO- (/
CH[NILRES CSANO AH0 SHELL lliOCOES WAitKIN(; f'OilW[Il tACH'$
AI.ONCO COUI.f' Of' W[XICO.I
PRAIIliE T[RRAC[ CI'I.EIS1'0C[NE I UOV( fi.OOOI'LAIN ANO MAIISH
L(V(I. CSEAWAilO EOC0.1
PIIAIIUE TEIIRACE CPI.(ISTOCENE I API'ROIUMAI'[LY AT MARSH LEVEl.
CSEAWARD EDCOE I
MONTGOMERY TERRACE ICSLAWARO f:OCO I
8[N1'LEY T[RRAC[ CPLf:ISTOCENE )($[AWARD [0(;[).
AIIANOONEO MISSISSI .. PI RIVER CHANNELS. ACTIVE OURINCO LATE
PL[ISTOCtNE "0CH
A8AH00NED REO RIV(ft CHANNELS ACTIVE OURING LATE
"L1STOCENE E"0CH
AIIANOONED SASINE RIVER CHANNELS. ACTIVf. DURING RECENT
EPOCH
i.
r
i
-_ .. 1
()
M E.
c 0
IN
f
f .C
\rOlf.- l
HAY )
r_.lOLOC,!CAI
LOWER MERMENTAU RIVER BASIN
PHYSIOGRAPHIC FEATURES
OF SOUTHWESTERN LOUISIANA
/_.....;
.. --
T
o ..
$HU- f
Of"F'ICE OF THE PRESIDENT, MISSISSIPPI RIVER COMMISSION
VICKS9UPG,
TO ACC.OMPAN'I FU.POR f Of HAAOJ 0 N J I PH 0 , (.ONSUt 1 AN f
OftriO l04.J151AUA STArt- UNtVfASITV, QAT(IN AOUCf.,LA
PLATE 2
DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
1Chen/ttre
i
:l
,a,
...
"'
"'-
,i
...
J
-
MUD FL
.t
J
j. A
~
a,
J,.,
A
~ ~
CORPS OF ENGINEERS
GEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION
LOWER MERMENTAU RIVER BASIN
LITTLE CHENIERE
Off ICE OF THE PRESIDENT, M.R.C.
\II<..KSBURG., MISS.
TO ACCOMPANY REPORT Of
HAROLD N. f"ISK, PH. O.)CONSUL TANT
R.J.L. B.A.VV. H.N.F.
PLATE 3
DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
SLACK BAYOU
SALT WATER LOCKSITE
rt cluy anc c bty tl
lll&ttl'r
AtH1 111 !ty clay11,
ruattflr
"llty day cby aUt
wl t'> .. r 0 r ady 1 t
c:lay w\ t1 u.n.i;: st 1 t
l'trf"al'.l
clay Hta, 11ihy .:l:t1
wlln lay"r. -:>f !l&nd;y
silt
.. woud lay .. rs
GRANO CHENIER LOCK AND
CONTROL SIT
M4 et1t7 saa4 rlvt'r uc .. rrtlo!l'
cta,t, elUt and helle rh M1 brae>< lth
-1ocall1 ean41 wttr
and UHy eandt
urtd !ud, wnthel'f!d,
"
frl'ah '-"l!<'r
calcartoous
1\ J lf mdft und fthll \$UtPr
ft"t'Rh wlittor
clay : l tu ,tr
..
.
CATFISH POJNT
CONTROL ST-RUCTURE SITE

H
;]
:1
...
'\
:!
;
I
:;

,,
!!
...
prbdullt tntc:Cieh
_,,.t.. r---:fr,'nh W"hf.C"r
In urp"r ;JIrt
"--------1
'!! lllf\Uh

Je &?4LH .
CORPS OF ENGINEERS
SCHOONER BAYOU
CONTROL STRUCTURE SITE
c\ll,)'R nnct j J f;t cllly,o,
/frto,Y ltfH1 rrPII'nlh /frli
oxldl!d, Wf':.t!!4'rld. &
ealclll'loutr e1aytr, dlty
clay aod c1"'1 fti 1 ta
cl1 ,.n,l ll t;r clay
with
"lull t ... da
r.rey clv '""c ilty
,,. elya
.-c:...r."__ll_t_'J--1

.:
...
.:
u
1--------

GEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION
LOWER RIVE'R BASIN
eo
STRATIGRAPHIC SECTIONS
RECENT AND PLEISTOCENE DEPOSITS
IN SHEETS
5HU.T
OF'FICE OF THE PRESIDENT, MISSISSIPPI RIVER COMMISSION
VICKSBURG, MISS
TO ACCi)MPANY REPORT Of' HARoLD N, I'ISK PH 0 CONSULTANT
QAT0 LOUISIANA STAT UNIVERSITY,&ATON Aou<.t,LA
RL 0. R J,L "8,A W H N.f.
PLATE 4
DEPARTMENT or THE ARMY
0
30
TECH.
MISSISSIPPI
MEANDER tiEL T
DEPOSITS
WAX LAKE OUTLET
(BAYOU TECHE TO WAX
5
SECTION A-A
WAX LAKE
- - - - ~ ..._
/
SECTION D-O'
10
SECTION E-E'
f
I
\1 1
', I
,,/
I !'I
SECTION B-B'
FOR LOCATION OF CROSS SECTIONS SEE PLATE 9
20
CORPS or ENGINEERS
f!EST COTE BLANCHE BAY
-LEGEND-
r-
i D STREAM DEPOSITS Of: CLAYS AND SILTS
I D MARSH SEDIMENTS WITH LOCAL. LENSES
I Of: LAKE AND RIVER DEPOSITS
....
~ D LAKE AND BAY DEPOSITS WITH LENSES
~ or RIVER SEDIMENTS.
a:
: D BEACH DEPOSITS Of: SAND AND SHELL
D
GULF BOTTOM AND MUD FLAT DEPOSITS
WITH LOCAL LENSES OF BRACKISH
L WATER LAKE DEPOSITS.
w
z
w
u
0 ~ DELTAIC PLAIN DEPOSITS:
:;;L:........J PRAIRIE FORMATION UNDIFFERENTIATED
w
..J
Q.
---.---....... ........... ___ __
------- ' ~ ..
--
25
NOTE ALL PROFILES ARE GENERALIZED TO SHOW MINIMUM DEPTHS
TO TOP OF OXIDIZED PRAIRIE ONLY MAJOR EROSIONAL
IRREGULARITIES IN OXIDIZED ZONE ARE INDICATED.
NOTE ALL ELEVATIONS ARE IN FEET (M S L ) t 76 M G L.
GEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION
LOWER MERMENTAU RIVER BASIN
REGIONAL CROSS SECTIONS
RECENT AND PLEISTOCENE DEPOSiiS
IN SHEETS HORIZ SCALE IN MILES SHEET

OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, MISSISSIPPI RIVER COMMISSION
VICKSB'URc-;-MISS
TO ACCCIMPIIIN.Y REPORT N HMOI..O H F l ~ PH 0, COHWLT4NT
0A TEO LOUISIANA STATE UNIVfRSITY, &t<JOH ROUGE , LA
W !I A L 0 A 0 R..J.L 8.A W H.N.F
PLATE 5
DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
I
90
>
w
..J
w
NORTH
HACKBERRY PO, LA
/
0
0
f-
w
uJ
4
z
-2().-
)0
40
'>
I.J
.J
uJ
NORTH
0
8
5
- --------
.::'00
Note For I o c d t 1 on., M cross s e c t o 1 ", , 1 t> PI a I e 9
------
2
10
HOLLY BEACH
7
..,."-'r,_...,. t
tn',tF
OISTANU:. IN f'E.[T
SECTION j- j'
3
/
/'
'/
/
/
4
D1STANCF: IN M1L[5
SECTfON I - I I
6
r
5EE SECTION J- J
5
OLD RIVER
CHANNEL
HOLLY 8ACH
8 7 6
GUlF OF
CORPS OF ENGINEERS
SOUTH
I
I
ME .YICO
--------------------'----- 30
""':'---
.

SOV IH
0> ME< if
- --? --
1.)
..J
0
:l -10
Cl
,....
...
1--
w
w
"'-
z
--20
>
w
_J
..,
30
-40
,';/......_
.'/
?0
RCNT
PlEISTO<:OJ(
IN
25
TYPE OF" DEPOSITS
IU
,,
L 60
>
.v
..J
w
-90
l"clvdu loco! ll'nus of loke Clnd rover' 'eduY>tnls
- LAKE AND BA'Y lnclvdc' ltnsc' of fiver sed1n1enh
,.- ../ BEACio4
MODERN GULf 80TTOM Solts ond 51ty doy1
OLDER Guu BOTTOM
. DELTAIC PLAIN (Un.Jdfere.,tateri)
LEGEND
f , :'ot 1
In, t d til
111l 1111111
:.tt :.t.tt
GE.0L001CAL INIII:..SI.::.AliON
LOWER MERMENTAU RIVER BASIN, LA.
CROSS SECTIONS
HOLLY BEACH AND VICINITY
SHEETS ACAl.t:A AM
SHEET
OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT. MISSISSIPPI RIVER COMMISSION
- VICKSBURG. MISS
TO ACCOWPANY R(PQNl Of N ,fSI'( ,.,_. 0 LON.ULTA .. T
C-.ltt) .. fAit. 8Af0N ROUGf
FILE
PLATE 6
)(
DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
H
.)
G
LITTLE CHENIERE
11 76 78 7'9 80
0
2
NOTE For locaitons of cross sections. see Plate 9
PUMPKIN RIOGE-
CHENIERE PERDUE
101 102
5 b
DISTANCE IN THOUSANDS Of fEET
NATURAL GROUND SURFACE
6 e 10
DISTANCE IN MILES
II
SECTION G-G'
NTURAL GROUND
5 6
DISTANCE IN THOUSANDS Of"' FEET
SECTION F-F'
105
NATURAL GROUND SURFACE __ _
/
7 8 9
SECTION H-H'
I
12 I} 14 ,,
CHENIERE PERDUE
15 86 87 88 89 90 91
OAK GROVE
RIDGE
114
K
CORPS OF ENGINEERS
12 24
H'
0
>
ILl
.J
ILI-20
TYPES OF' DEPOSITS
30
LEGEND
H
fm hrm
Hd
5fl Soft
19 R[([NT---
Stf. Stoff
Sott
0
-D GULf BOT TOM
[ JIO.ULF BOTTOM
' (Undrft"en:n+rtt:d)
"""...,....,__
:: Cly Sand
5ilty Snd
!
q tO II
+ [ - 1 OfL lAIC: Pl ... IN
___ --
(/)

GEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION
LOWER MERMENTAU RIVER BASIN, LA.
CROSS SECTIONS OF Ll"fTLE CHENIERE
CHENIER PERDUE ANO OAK GROVE RIDGE
IN SHEETS SHEET
OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT. MISSISSIPPI RIVER COMMISSION
VICKSBURG. MISS
lO OP' HAitOL.D N ,.151( ,. ... , ,,._ CGN.ULTAJIT
. DAli.O LOUiejANA aTAll. UNHIP511Y. HON "CMI4!J.I.. LA
FILE
PLATE 7
'
"
>. ,

'"



"

"

'
, ..
v,
""
;.
,,

,,
;', ::!
't1
"'"'
.
'"
. "'
"
'-
:'t
0
0 .
"'


"'
"'
-LEGEND-
PRAIRIE
( /'
SELECTED CONTROL SQRING
- . 5 --SUBSURFACE CONTOUl.
VARYING INTEII\IAL. l:lATIJt.t :SEA L(V[L
c
(/
t_ ,..
Or-
LOWER MERMENTAU RIVER BASIN
SUBSURFACE CONTOURS
LATE PLEISTOCENE ENTRENCHMENT
SOUTHWESTERN LOUISIANA
VALLEYS
OFTICE OF THE PRESIDENT. MISSISSIPPI RIVER COMMISSION
l\(f0MP.4Nr' Of H,MfOLO flSK, PH U, ciJNSll!.. fANl
(lAlf:O J.t.HP':>iANA SfAH I . .'Ni\l'fRS;fY, BAHJI-J f((;l)i-;f,l.A
-LEGEND-
SURFACE
Ci[Nt;RAUZEO FROM MAIN IHIAtNAG ANO CONTOUR
MAP 01' I..OUH!UANA PREI'AR0 1!1'1' OEPARTMENT OF
PUl!II..IC WORKS Of" LOUISIANA
SUBSURFACE CONTOURS
---------
SHOW. MINIMUM OEPTH TO TOP Of PRAIRIE FORMATION
IN COASTAL MARSHLAHOS ANO Of'F SMOIU.
LOCATION OF REGIONAL CROSS SECTIONS.
LOCATION OF BORING AND ELEVATION (M S L )
OF TOP OF PRAIRIE FORMATION.
Al.l .. 60AINCS MAOE B't NEW ORLEANS ENGINEER
DISTRICT.
NOTE: 1'0111 CROSS 5CTIOM$ SEE PLATES S THROUGH 7.
IN
GEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION
LOWER MERMENTAU RIVER BASIN
GENERALIZED SURFACE AND SUBSURFACE CONTOURS
PRAIRIE FORMATION
LOCATION Of REGIONAL CROSS SECTIONS
SH[f. TS SHfET
OFfiCE Of PRESIDENT, MISSISSIPPI RIVER COMMISSION
VIC><SBURG, MISS.
-LEGEND-
PRODUCtNG OIL AND GAS FIELDS.
FIELDS NORTH OF LATITUDE Of CROWLEY NOT SHOWN
----MAJOR FRACTURE ZONES.
GEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION
LOWER MERMENTAU Rl VER BASIN
FRACTURE PATTERN AND OIL FIELDS
IN S t ~ T S
SOUTHWESTERN LOUISIANA
0
--
10
SCALE IN MILE 5
15
SH[f 1
OFTJCE OF THE PRESIDENT, MISSISSIPPI RIVER COMMISSION
VICKSBURG, MISS
TO ACCoMPANY REPORT OF HAROLD N 'FISK, PH 0 . CONSUL TAN l
OAT0 LOUISIANA STATE UNIIIASITY, BATON ROUGE, LA
PLATE 10
DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
----;--...--;----
: ' I I,
\ j I
I
1. EARLY SHORELiNE OF PRAIRIE DEL TAlC PLAIN
G U L F
0 ..
/ r ~ i
,
\
3. VERMILION DELTA AND MEANDER BELT Of THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER DURING LATE
PRAIRIE TIME.
'-r"""'_..l ~
~ '-
1
............. - ' __.,.-
. --.,::-.......___ ___ __
\ SUBMARINE
./ CANYON
---------------------
--
G U L F 0 F M X f C 0
5 ENTRENCHMENT VALLEY SYSTEM DURING LATE WISCONSIN GLACIAL STAGE
LATE STAGES OF THE PLEISTOCENE (GLACIAL) EPOCH
CORPS OF ENGINEERS
G U L F
2 RED RIVER ALLUVIAL CONE AND EARLY FORMED MISSISSIPPI RIVER MEANDER BELT ON
PRAIRIE SURFACE
4 TERREBONNE DELTA AND MEANDER BELT OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER i).URING LATEST
PRAIRIE TIME.
_,' -- _,_ !.. ..
V E X C C
6 MODERN DEL TA!C PL &..tN WITH POSITIONS OF TECHE. L AFOU'KHE AND ST BEqN.ARD
ANCIENT MISSiSSIPPI RIVER DELTAS
RECENT EPOCH
-LEGEND-
pqA,RIE TERRACE SuRF'ACE
RECENT MARSHL4ND5 A"'D
4:...LU1AL PLA<"'S
GEOLOGICAL INV[STIG.t.TIO"'
LOWER MERMENTAU RIVER BASIN
LATE PLEISTOCENE AND RECENT
OEOLOOIC HISTORY OF SOUTH LOUISIANA
OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT. MISSISSIPPI RIVER COMMISSION
'.J
DEPARTMENT ARMY
/
c
0
..

RECENT MARSHI..AMJS
CHENIERE
BORING BY NEW ORI;.EANS ENGINEER DISTRICT
GEOI..OGICAI.. INVEST'IGATION BORING DRILLED
BY NEW ORLEANS EIIGINEER DISTRICT
BORINCS BY OIL COMPANIES
D ~ < J Y LOCATION Or CROSS-SECTION
LOWER MERMENTAU RIVER BASIN
SUBSURFACE CONTOURS
TOP OF OXIDIZED PLEISTOCENE DEPOSITS
(VICINITY OF GRAND CHENIER[)
IN SHEETS SHEET
OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, MISSISSIPPI RIVER COMMISSION
VICKSBURG, MISS
TO ACCOMPANY REPORT or HAROLD N FISK, PH 0, CONSULTANT
DATED LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY, a,.TON ROUGE, LA
0PARTMNT OF THE ARMY
D !OUTI1
.,
---..---+-- . --------------
91 .)!> 4.14 433 4:v. 4JI .. Jo .t29 "428 427 426 425 .. Z4 z1
0
...,
10
Cl
,...
..

20J
;
....
lO::!
&..

>
""' ...J
w
0
..
. ,
' ,.,
' I
'
.,
.,
'
.,
'
SOUTH
10
0
10

..1
2

. +
60
2
1 .. 4 143 142 141 133
0
Note: for location.of cross see Plate 1'2
132 131
l
130 129
DISTANCE IN MILES
2
SECTION
z J
1"'9 -

I
/
4
1!>8 159
/
/
4 s
/
/
/
/
,/ /
/
/
/
DISTANCE IN MILES
SECTION
160 161 162

/
-
/
5
D-Dt
163
2
6
NORTH E'
10
0
-10
-60
7
IN
X
CORPS OF ENGINEERS
I
i
f
NORTH
0'
0
l,
...J
-10
8
TYPES OF DEPOSITS
LEGEND
Sand<J Cla4
5hell5
Sandt) Slit
Silty Sand
Vcog IJt-getabk!o
H Humus
Tr Trace
Cone Cc,.c., .... -t, _,,.,.
GEOLOGICAL IN liGATION
LOWER MERMENTAU RIVER BASIN, LA.
Cl
,...
....

J
f>O
9
CROSS SECTIONS D-D' AND E- E'
VIC IN lTV OF GRANO CHEN IE RE
SHEETS &HEET
OFFICE OF THE PRESIOEN,Ji RIVER COMMISSION
VIC , MISS
TO AC.COfiiiPANY .f>?fiT OF HAJtOL.t> filii P*S... 0 C.oNaUl.'TAJIIf1
OAli.O t..TAll.. UNIW&.Itlillt' atOflll ""'uc..r LA
FILE
PLATE 13
DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
r
WEST
74 73 31 69 68 67 66 32
101 30
eo
0
" 10 J
I
!{)
1'-
20+
.J
Ill
lOI

...
..,

z
>
w

-80
10
0 2
OISTANCf IN Mit t5
SECTION F-F
,
G'
SOUTk NORTH
10
116 115 114 II) Ill 110 109 108 107
0
10
c.!)
..1
:L
2o;!.
_J
1.
30._
...
w
lJ..
z
50
60
0 2 3
DISTANCE. IN MILES
SECTION
Note: For 10cat1ons of cross .sectipns, see Plate IZ
64 63 61
10
0
-10
t!)
:;;

J
111

30
...
w
,J
4.
2
,40
{;j
J
uJ
50
60
60 S9 !;j !JI
A
so 49
t,
I
, I
I
tl
1::
,.,
L,
TYPES OF DEPOSITS
D
J<[C[Nl (Undtffert>nttaled) Includes
nver, mar,h, Like and bay, beach, mud
rtat,and gulf bottom
48 lr'
9
D Plt:ISTOC(N[ O[LTAIC PLAIN,(UndUerentlated)
LEGEND
Clay
Sandy Clay
Silty Clay
Sand
Silty S;md

Clay Silt
I ! Humus

w Shells
8J Sand f> She lis
GEOLOGICAL IN\IESTIGAllON
LOWER MERMENTAU RIVER BASIN, LA.
+10
0
w
.J-10
::1.
' -20

r-
....
!AJ
u.
i40
:..
w

60
70
CROSS SECTIONS F-F' AND G- G'
VICINITY OF GRAND CHENIERE
IN SHEETS IICALitll All IIHOWN SHEET
OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, MISSISSIPPI RIVER COMMISSION
VICKSBURG, MISS
TO ACCOMPANY lt ...... 1 OF HA_, D N rt.l<, "" D COHtlULTA..,.
OAT&. 1.0UI6>ANA 6TAII UNtV& .. SoH, 8&1- -U<il
FILE
PLATE 14
/
Note: For cross sect10ns see Plate IG
\
\
Pl.: AN
SCALE IN FEET
=
soo
_J
IN
G RAND
1.-AH
LEGEND
BORING FIGURE INDICATES ELE\1 M S.L
OF TOP OF OXiDIZED PLEISTOCENE DEPOSITS
GEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION
LOWER MERMENTAU RIVER BASIN, LA.
SUBSURFACE CONTOURS
OF OXIDIZED PLEISTOCENE DEPOSITS
ATFISH POtNT SITE
SHEETS SCALE AS StiOWN SHEET
OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT. MISSISSIPPI RIVER
VICKSBURG. MISS
IO ACCOMPANV Af.POIItT Or' MAROLD N fiSK, I"H D CON1JULTANT
OAT f.[) LOUI,;I"NA &TATE. . .-TON HC tH .. t: LA
PLATE 15
DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
B sw
X
CORPS OF ENGINEERS
0 "
J
___ N_A_T_u_R_AL __ G_A_OU __
't , 0%11 er;
I
I)
1'-
10 ..
..J

............-
40
0
A WEST
0
tO
20 0
_]

co
('
30
.J
t/1
L
t--

IL
z
>
50 w
.J
w
0
70
0
200
zoo 400
Note: For location of cross section see Plate 15
600
015TANC.E,IN FEET
OtSTANCE: IN FEET
SECTION B ... B
NATURAL GROJNO SURf A(.[
I
800 1000
SECTION A-A
EAST
0
10
wZO
.J


-30
.J
lfl
I
t--

IL
z

J
t.J
-60
-70
1200
RC(NT --
TYPES OF DEPOSITS
-[
---]MARSH: Include IMtsn of
-- _ and rivr sediments.
STRtAM
LAK( AND &AY: lnclude-5 lense of

..
LEGEND

S.snd':l C'-'1
rl
'!
_: 'v'eg - Vegtdtton
(
St11y Cla'J C. one. Conc:re t irms,
s,nd :..dt Ox ())udiz:ed
Sand Sandy !:"tit Tr. Tr10ce
Silty Sand Stlt H Humus
GEOLOGICAL-INVESTIGATION
LOWER MERMENTAU RIVER BASIN, LA.
CROSS SECTIONS A-A' AND 8-8'
CATFISH POl NT CONTROL STRUCTURE SITE
IN! SHEETS 5CAL1.8 AS
SHEET
OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT. MISSISSIPPI RIVER COMMISSION
VICKSBURG. MISS.
TO ACCOWPANY RE..,OIIT OF HAIIOLD H ,-t6K CON.ULTA .. T
DA1t.O L0Ut51ANA 1ifAlE UNtYC ... Ifl' 8ATON ROUG( LA
FILE
PLATE 16
DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
Z YE
LEGEND
-17e sr;RING. FIGI;RE
0 ..;)
.J

CD

t
" -tO ...J
In

1-
w
-20
A
0
I
EL M l. OF TOP OF
0)(101ZCO PI.EISTOCENE DEPOSITS
WATER SURFAC.F"}
MERMENTAU
.uuo
/
/
Rti!ER
/
_SEc _2
src 23 / src. ,
4

TI45-R5W
,/
/
aoou
/
/
/
/
PARISH
/
/
,/
400('
OISTA:rr :IN FEET
SECTION A- A'
-- NAl URAl. GPOUNU SUHFAi:f
!>COO 600U
A'
MEHME:NTAI.I
RIVER
CORPS OF ENGINEERS
TYPES OF DEPOSITS
! loci!
. _jot ldk.e ""a rover dtJY>,tb
-i ,... j.
! }=. =-- MJO FLAT
I ---
/
! r; .. '. ;.
; .. I Bf ACH
; :.: . ."
LEGEND
w------J t,
-: r
::.ilt 4 ;u'j
7tlCC


<;,.trl:l sand
Shells
No Sample
GEOLOGICAL INVE.S TIGA liON
LOWER MERMENTAU RIVER BASIN, LA.
SUBSURFACE CONTOURS AND CROSS SECTION
TOP OF OXIDIZED PLEISTOCENE DEPOSITS
LITTLE CHENIERE SITE
IN
5
$ A A H f3 y :.yo
SHEETS SCALE IN FEET SHEET
OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT. MISSISSIPPI RIVER COMMISSION
'IICKS!!URG. MISS.
TO ACCQMP'AN't 0,. MA"tttO "'Il PH D IOI'IiSlJL1'A .. l
DATaO LOUf .. ANA .fAt Ul"fVa,.._ll.-. 81'"'H4JllCE LA
fiLE
PLATE 17
DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
\.
A
0
MERMENTAU RIVER
(I)
-10 "
-'
Ill
r
r--.----------_.---
-20
40
w
u
0 1000
CAME R 0 N


I

NATURAL GROUND SURFACE
2000
P A R




500 1000
_. J----- --::,-.._.. :
5CALE IN f(T
JOOO 4000
DISTANCE IN FEE 1
SECTION A -A'
S H
..
,.
/,,'
. ,'/
" e II
'I
. :/'
..
'
/1 --
. D
WATER SURFACE
RIVER
5000
I

X
CORPS OF ENGINEERS
TYPES OF DEPOSITS
[
. locAl lrnscc> ,Jf
r f .'Jkt> .)n<:l rtver ss<Jomtuts
I
I
>-It']
/
HECENT tf J STREAM
I


//
/
LEGEND
@ BORING 8'Y NEW ORLEAN5 ENGR. Dl5T
e &Y OTHER AGENCY 4''
e FIGURf INOtc.ATES F..LfV CM L l 0F
20 TOP OF OXIDIZED PLE15TOCENE
DEPOSITS,
PLEISTOCENE
\Of!'ltc.toc Plain
DI!JJOt)
:{--:-]LAKE AND BAY: onclurle5
____ lensts ot
BRACKISH WAr! R
STREAM
LEGEND
NATURAL GROUND
A'
6000 7000
.J
Vl
n
I: -'20
....
w
kJ -r __ .,...... ...

S11ndy ClalJ
Clay 'Stlt
SilhJ Sand
H Humur.
C.EOLUC.ICAL IN" I IGAT ION
LOWER MERMENTAU RIVER BASIN, LA.
SUBSURFACE CONTOURS AND CROSS SECTION
TOP OF OXIDIZED PLEISTOCENE DEPOSITS
GRAND CHENIERE SITE NO. 2
IN SHEETS SHEET
OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT. MISSISSIPPI RIVER
VICKSBURG. MISS
TO ... ,..,.T 0' HAIIOLO N ..... ,.H, D. c.ofMUL'fANT
OATD t.OUt .. ANA AI. UNIV81t6tY. 8&T .... ,UGC, L.A.
r ll E
PLATE 18
DEPARTMENT OF THE ARM.Y
u v
"" "" !1'1 1/'1
LEGEND
CLAY
SANOY CLAY
SILTY CLAY
5ANO
SILTY
SANOY SILT
CLAY 5tLT
j.SOLTV SAMO
!!
, ~
t
NOTE: For Cross Sedions B-B' and C-C'See Plate 20
I
cs
SH
ss
CLAY STRATA
SHELLS
SANO STRATA
c A [ R 0 N
14 7.
ll

8 - AUGf.R IOeUNOS
@ - IJHOI5'TUA&to eoRIHG5
-Z5 SUIUUI'lFACf CONTOURS ON TOP OF
OJI'tOIZEO Plfi51'0CfNC DfPOSIU
P A R
? J
PLAN
s H
GC-10
- -
$CAL[ IN H.t T
SECTION A-A'
TYPES OF DEPOSITS
MARSH lncluds local lnses of lake and.nvcr deposits
BEA0-1
RIVER ACCRETION lnch ... ds reworked ckanlre depoih of
sand and shells overll!lll"' by bl'"acki51-o wlltt'r
mud!IO with few shells
SRACK15H MARINE DEPOSITS: lncluder. qulf boHom, m.:fd flat
and estuary flllin'l.
FRESH WATER QELTAIC S01MNT5
BRACK,SH WATER SE OIMENTS
CORPS OF ENGINEERS
I
N
I
GC-13
~
~ .
~ ( i
No-te
6orinqe Med By U.S
Waterways Experiment
Statton.
Ill
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GEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION
LOWER MERMENTAU RIVER BASIN, LA.
SUBSURFACE CONTOURS AND CROSS SECTION
TOP OF OXIDIZED PLEISTOCENE DEPOSITS
GRAND CHENIERE CONTROL STRUCTURE SITE
IN SHEETS SHEET
OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT. MISSISSIPPI RIVER COMMISSION
VICKSBURG. MISS
TO ACCOMI"ANY III:I"'On 0,. HAR<>LO N l'lell. I"H D. CO ... ULTAMT
DAY'C:O LOUf8lAMA GAta UNtVCNSifY .AlON IIIOUGa. LA
PLATE 19
O.EPARTMENT OF THE AAMV
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TYPES OF DEPOSITS
BnAC:KI!JH MAHINf: lnL lu Jl lLII
b0ttJ111, lhll(j fl.1t tr"! ,gh.IY_Y t,i:I'IJ
RIVEn ACCH[liON: irH ludt" "'w"
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l.sin by h..Jtk,.,h w,lfc:r ""''k tt"' ,;h.tk
Note: For location of cross sections see Plate 19
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CORPS OF ENGINEERS
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LEGEND
II
GEOLOGICAL IN\Il.STIGATION
LOWER MERMENTAU RIVER BASIN, LA.
CROSS SECTIONS B-8' AND C- C'
GRANO CHENIERE CONTROL STRUCTURE SITE
IN SHEETS
.. ltHOWN SHEET
OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT. MISSISSIPPI RIVER' COMMIS!t!ON
VICKSBURG. MISS
10 Hff'l")R'f 0,._ HAROLO N f:ISM Ph 0 CONiiUL..TAHf
0All0 lOHI-,.lANA ll.lf UN!IIH,Iv BAlON NIHH..,f_ LA
FILE
PLATE 20
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-LEGEND-
I I
I I
I I
( I
'j ABANDONED MISSISSIPPI RIVER CHANNELS (ACTI\1(
J DURING LATE PLEISTOCENE STAG.)
J PRAIRIE (PLEISTOCENE)
l RECENT MARSHLANDS
CHENIER ELEV CMS.L.l TOP Of' PLEISTOCENE
BORING BY NEW ORLEANS ENGINEER OISTfUCT.
GEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION BORING DRILLED BY
NEW ORLEANS ENGINEER DISTRICT.
BORINGS BY OIL COMPANIES.
LOCATION 01' CROSS-SECTION.
NOTE: FOR CROSS-SECTION$ SEE PLATES 22 &. 23.
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GEOLOGICAL T'IGATION
LOWER MERMENTAU RIVER BASIN
:.uBSURFACE CONTOURS
TOP OF OXIDIZED PLEISTOCENE DEPOSITS
SHEET
THE PRESIDENT, MISSISSIPPI RIVER COMMISSION
VICKSBURG, MISS
TO ACCOMPAN.'f A(POAT OF HAAOLO N. ftSX. PH D, CONSUl TAN1"
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PLATE 21
DEMRTMENT OF THE ARMY
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3 2
3
3 2
4
2
,
5
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DL">IArJCf:liN MILE.S
SECTION B-B'
3
l
[)ISlAtJC.f; IN !MIL[5
SECTION A-A'
22
NATURAL C.HUUN;J SUfHAC(
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12 13

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16 17
Veq
CORPS OF ENGINEERS
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TYPES OF DEPOSITS
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J lJ f 'IV PI' S<!dl
j DfLTAIC PLAIN (Und ff,.,.,.,,t,a!ed)
LE:GEND
Cone
l.-
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Concr-ctton
Tac<'
Ve 9" ta110n
H ..
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Shell
GEOLOGiCAL INVESIIGATiON
LOWER MERMENTAU RIVER BASIN, LA.
CROSS SECTIONS A-A' AND 8- 8'
VICINITY OF SCHOONER BAYOU
IN SHEETS
tiCAL&e l'a ... OWN SHEET
OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT. MISSISSIPPI RIVER COMMISSION
VICKSBURG. MISS.
TO ACCOM,-ANY "1..-o .. T OF HAitOLO N lfteiC D CON.ULTA .. T
DATI.O LOUteAANA .fAl UNIV.UU'f .... ION IIIQUGI. LA
FILE
PLATE 22
OF THE ARMY
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16 17 2

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Rt.CtNT
CORPS OF ENGINEERS
10 It
TYPES OF DEPOSITS

MAR5H: local or 14ke

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---: -=i LAK( AND &A'IInclucka of rtvn
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DELTAIC PLAtN:kJndifferwnti .. H)
IN
LEGEND
Cloy t1 liurnur,
VP.CJ Vcylat.on
fr Traer
LOofL Conucton5
o,_ o.udt.:d
:':Jolt)' Uoy t-Id liul'd
:>ft Soft
lm fJI'If)
floy 'land
Ctn.y 5dt
GEOLOGtCAL INVESTIGATION
LOWER MERMENTAU RIVER BASIN, LA.
CROSS SECTIONS C-C' AND D- D'
VICINITY OF SCHOONER BAYOU
SHEETS acALU Aa aHOWN SHEET
OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT. MISSISSIPPI RIVER COMMISSION
VICKSIIURG. MISS.
TO flli'OIOT OP .... ...._0 N Fl .............
OATI.D LOUtSaANA .TAl. U.NH'a .. llY. eATON JWUOa. LA.
FILE
PLATE 23
X
c"!T'cc'?70 .. "___________ ..;., _________________________________ _j,.
DEPARTMENT OF THE
/
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Note For cross sec I ton E
E R
Plate '25
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CORPS . OF ENGINEERS
H
...., !LOW -.
LEGEND
C1 BORING FIGURE INDICATE 5 ELEVATION M S L OF TOP
I Of OXIOIZ[D PLEISTOCENE DEPOSITS
GEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION
LOWER MERMENTAU RIVER BASIN, LA.
SUBSURFACE CONTOURS
TOP OF OXIDIZED PLEISTOCENE DEPOSITS
SCHOONER BAYOU CONTROL SJTE
IN SHEETS SHEET
OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT. MISSISS!PPI RIVER
VICKSBURG. MISS
TO ACCOMPANY' ttPOIH OF HAROLD H FISK PH D, CON8ULTAHT
DATED LOUtSIANA SlATE UNlVCRKtl't 8Af0N ROUGE. LA.
FtLf;
PLATE 24
DEPARTM T OF THI ARMY
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Lenses
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SECTION E- E'
015 lANCE IN FEET 1000
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CORPS_ OF
TYPES OF DEPOSITS
RECENT
PLEISTOCt:Nt
Oeltitt Plain
Dtpo5d5
Clay
:Jandy clay
5and
Clay sand
Silty and
Shells
H Hutnu5
D
MAt\5H: Include:> local lt'nSe!>
of lakt and river deposlh.
STREAM
MARSH
LAI<E and BAY: lnclude5 lentou.
o'f river aediment:..
LEGEND
I
Silt
Sandy 1:
Ctey ilt
Vag
Cone
0
Tr
Ss
Cs



Trace
5and strata
Clay 5t rata
G&OLOGICAL fMIUftGATIOH
LOWER MERMENTAU RIVER BASIN, LA.
CROSS SECTION E- E'
SCHOONER BAYOU CONTROL STRUCTURE SITE
IN SHEETS SHEET
OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT. MISSISSIPPI RIVER
YICKS8UIItG. MISS.
TO &CCOMf'A ... Y IOf'OIIT OP HAIOOLO "' ,.__ f'H D.. COH8YLY...,.
OATID ............. 5TATI UNt,allatfY aAT .. -UO&. LA.
FILE
PLATE 25
DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY


3
0
10
H.
15
20
25
VICINITY MAP


/'?
While
Lo.te
' ....

4 6 7 e
COLLICON LAKE
IO.t 1-1
1.5
RICH
.57-J./
CLAYS
CLAY
SANOY
SILT
SANOY SILT
CLAY
SILTY
PEAT
'CLAY
SILTY
SHELLS
SAND
!-1.
LEGEND
I
H -HUMUS
CLAY VEG - VEGETATION
SILT CONC- CONCRETIONS
--] MARSH DEPOSITS: lrJclude" /ayer.s
peal OlrJO local /en.$eS or /aKe
2 and rivBr
t: .. > STREAM DEPOSITS
:;! LAKE AND BAY DEPOSITS',0c/ude.:l"
. local /snSeS OT r/Yt;'r .$6!d/menfS.
' -
FRESH WATER DEPOSITS
BRACKISH WATER DEPOSITS
CORPS OF ENGINEERS
9 10 II
TURTLE LAI<
GEOLOGICAL INVESTlGATION
LOWER MERMENTAU RIVER
CROSS SECTION
GRAND LAKE- WHITE
0
5
tO
15
20
25
IN SHEETS SHEET
OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, M.R
VICKSBURG, MISS.
TO AC.COMPANY REPORT Of
HAROLD N. FISK, PH. D.,CONSUL TANT
W.S. RO. B.W. H.N.F.
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2
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PLATE 26
- '"lRESS REI'f..Y TO:
RIVER COMMISSION
WAR DEPARTMENT
CORPS OF ENGINEERS
OFFICE_OF THE PRESIDENT
MISSISSIPPI RIVER COMMISSION
VICKSBURG, MISSISSIPPI_
CORPS -OF ENGINEERS
P. 0. BOX 80.
VICKSBURG. MISSISSIPPI
REFER TO fiLE HP.
2
7,-oir. Henry F. Nelson, Geologist
Magnolia Petroleum Company
P. 0. Box 900
Dallas 1, Texas
Dear Mr. Helson:
Your letter 11 1952 requesting in!or.mation
as to loan of the report Investigations of
the Lower t!ermenta.u fiiver Basin and Adjacent Areas," by H. N.
Fisk, has been received.
Please be advised that we have a record copy of the
report which is not. available for loan purposes.
h'e will be glad to furnish a detailed estLnate of the -
cost of reproducing the report it desired. It of
47- pages of text, 7 figures, am 26 plates. The average
cost of reproduction by photostat method be about 50
cents par sheet.
Please do not hesitate to call on us in the event that
j we can be of further assistance.
(j
L'
i
Sincerely yours,
cc:
cc:
New Orle_ ans
Hr. Grolock ,/
R. A. LATIMb.1i
Chief Fngineering
I
!
COPY
AOORESS REPLY TO:
--. MISSISSIPPI RIVER COMMISSION
WAR DEPARTMENT
CORPS OF ENGINEERS
OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
MISSISSIPPI RIVER COMMISSION
VICKSBURG, MISSISSIPPJ
CORPS OF ENGINEERS .
P. 0. BOX 80,
VICKSBURG. MIS5_1SSIJ>PI
REFER TO FILE NO. LMVGS
}.1r. John A. Doering
5S30 Averill Way
Dallas 25, Texas
Dear Mr. Doering:
FEB 7 1955
Receipt is acknowledged of your letter dated 29 January 1955 re-
questing information as to the availability and price of the _following:
investigation of the alluvial valley of the
lo-v:er Hississippi River. By H. N. Fisk (1944).
Fine-grained alluvial deposits and their effects on Missis-
sippi River activity. By H. N. Fisk (1947).
Geologlcal investigations of the lower Mennentau River
Basin and adjacent areas. in coastal Louisiana. By
H. N. Fisk (194S).
The first-named pubiication dated 1944 is out of print and not
available for sale. An out of print notice relative to the publication
is herewith inclosed. The second-named publication is available for
sale at $2.50 for the set of two volumes, and will be promptly mailed
upon receipt of your request and remittance in payment therefor.
mittance should be made payable to the Treasurer of the United States.
The third-named publication has not been published and it is regretted
that ':le only have a record copy, which is not available for loan purposes.
Descriptive lists of maps and of the Commission are
herewith inclosed for your information. Please do not hesitate to call
on us in the event that we can be of further assistance.
!nels
Out of Print Notice.
Descriptive Lists.
cc: Mr. Grolock
New Orleans District
Sincerely yours,
RICHARD H . BROtlf'.4ll;Y
Capt., CE
Assistant DISPATCHED
7 FEB 1955
M. & R., M.R.C.
VICKSOORG, MISS.
9:30 A. J.f.

0
::r
::s
-
MHC
12 MA'.
Union Producing Company
P. 0. Box 1407
. Shreveport 92, Louisiana
Attention: Library
Gentlemen:
Receipt is acknowleiged of your letter dated 4 ltay 1955
information as to obtaining a copy of the paper by
H. N. Fisk entitled "Geologic Investigation of the Lower Wer-
. mentau River Basin and Adjoining in CoctstBl Louisiana,"
u.s. Jefartroent of the Mississi[>pi River Commission.
The paper cited has not been published and it is
regretted that we only have a record copy 1'>hich is not avai.Lable
for loan. purposes.
Please do not hesitate to c.:.1il on us in the event we
c:1n be of further assistance.
. /'
cc: Mr. Grolillck
Sincerely
1
?.ICHJiliD H.
,CE
il.Saistant