Copyright Karen Schuenemann, Wilderness At Heart Photography. All rights reserved.
Caddo Lake Uncertain, Texas
"Caddo Lake is a 25,400-acre lake and bayou (wetland) on the border between Texas and Louisiana. The lake is named after the Caddoans or Caddo, Native Americans who lived in the area until their expulsion by the United States in the 19th century. The US forced most of them to move west to Indian Territory.
The lake and bayou comprise an internationally protected wetland under the Ramsar Convention and includes one of the largest flooded cypress forests in the United States. Caddo is one of Texas's few non-oxbow natural lakes.
The Caddo Lake watershed is a maze of slow-moving bayous, wetlands and backwaters covering nearly 27,000 acres of cypress swamp. The lake’s average depth is 8 to 10 feet, while the Big Cypress Bayou averages 20 feet deep.
Three major habitat types (bottomlands, mesic and uplands) within the park support a diversity of wildlife including American alligators and paddlefish. Caddo Lake’s watershed holds the greatest variety of native aquatic wildlife in Texas. The park is also within the Central Flyway, a migratory path for many species of birds.
Bald cypress trees add grace and beauty to many of Texas' most cherished waterways. A member of the Redwood family, they are among the first trees in Texas to loose their leaves in the fall (hence the name "bald cypress") and the last to bud in the spring.
In 1993 Caddo Lake preservation efforts were expanded. The Nature Conservancy had purchased 7,000 acres (2,833 ha) of the Caddo Lake area and announced an agreement to merge this property with the 483 acres (195 ha) Texas Caddo State Park, creating the Caddo Lake State Park and Wildlife Management Area. As a result of efforts by the Caddo Lake Institute (co-founded by Don Henley and Dwight K. Shellman), in October 1993 Caddo Lake became one of thirteen areas in the United States protected by the Ramsar Convention. This is an international effort to protect important wetlands for sustainability."
-Wikipedia & Caddo Lake State Park