|
Louisiana is within the Gulf Coastal Plain and is at the end of the extensive Mississippi River system, which drains more than 40% of the continental United States. Natchitoches Parish, in northwestern Louisiana, is part of the greater Red River Valley.
The Red River, the Cane River, and the Great Raft
 What
is now Cane River was once the main channel of the Red River. The Red
River changed course from the Cane River location to the eastern edge of the
parish following Captain Henry Shreve’s removal of an extensive of the “Great
Raft,” a natural logjam just north of Natchitoches.
The removal began in 1833 and was not completed until 1873. This natural
log jam had choked the 160 miles of the main channel of the Red River between
Natchitoches and what is now Shreveport
for two or more centuries, and significantly affected the drainage and sediment
pattern in the area. The jam had caused the damming of tributaries and
the creation of a number of large lakes. With the removal of the jam the
lakes drained, and now only remnants remain.
The water level in what became the Cane River dropped substantially over time. In 1916, earthen dams were built in the old channel creating a 37-mile-long lake condition that simulates the historic river level and provides recreational opportunities. The dammed portion of Cane River ends just north of Magnolia Plantation.
Good Soil, Good Farmland
 The
soils that predominate in the Cane River corridor—Roxana, Gallion, Moreland,
Latanier, and Armistead—are considered prime farmland. Based on the Department
of Agriculture definition, these soils are best suited to producing food, feed,
forage, fiber, and oilseed crops. The red coloring of the soils in the
region gave the mighty Red River both its name and its rusty hue.
The agricultural fertility of the soils long played a major role in the region’s development. Soon after the French arrived and constructed Fort St. Jean Baptiste, settlers began clearing the fertile floodplains along the Red River. They laid out their plantations using the French arpent land tenure system—long narrow lots that fronted on and ran perpendicular from the river to the back bayous. Plantation owners acquired many of these arpents to create their large landholdings. They located their plantation homes along the river, set back enough to provide views of the fields, orchards, agricultural buildings, and of course the river.
Vegetation and Wildlife
Like all of Louisiana, the Cane River region is rich in flora and fauna. The following lists demonstrate some of the ecological variety found in this area. The lists are not meant to be comprehensive—they are designed to give a general overview of the plants and animals found in the region.
Agricultural Vegetation
 Large
and small farming operations have sustained this region for nearly three centuries.
A variety of vegetation can be found on farms, although cotton was “king” for
much of the region’s history.
Pecan orchards
Cattle pastures
Bermuda Grass
Pensacola bahiagrass
Tall fescue
White clover
Cultivated Crops
Cotton
Corn
Soybeans
Grain sorghum
Residential Trees
Historically and in the present, plantation homes along Cane River are characterized majestic oak alleès and fragrant, flowering magnolias. The trees listed below are common near houses large and small in the region.
Live oaks
Osage orange
Southern magnolia
Catalpa
Japanese magnolia
Crepe myrtle
Chinaberry
Plum
Jujube
Bottomland Hardwoods
 The
native bottomland hardwoods and wooded backswamps represent only a small fraction
of what once grew within the river valley. Today, less than 10,000 wooded
acres remain in the lowlands along the river. The recent establishment
of the Red River National Wildlife Refuge will contribute to future conservation
of wooded bottomlands.
Water oak
Willow oak
Swamp privet
Water locust
Honey locust
Bitter pecan
|
