A lake is usually well defined. A bayou is a body of water, smaller than a river or a lake, that flows softly. A swamp is not as deep as a river, lake or bayou and stays the same for most of the year with only occasional change of water level from storms, hurricanes or cold fronts pushing water into it from a larger body of water.
In Louisiana we are losing our wetlands at an astonishing rate. Our marshes are disappearing and when the marsh grass goes, the shrimp go, too, because that is the area of their spawning grounds.
Unless we act quickly we will not only lose our beautiful scenery but our greatest protection from hurricanes and our seafood that supplies the nation with most of its fresh delicacies from the water.
Salt water intrusion and industry and chemical pollution have been the main causes of the damage.
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