Caddo Lake

Caddo Lake is a 25,400 acre (103 km²) lake and wetland located on the border between Texas and Louisiana, in northern Harrison County and southern Marion County in Texas and western Caddo Parish in Louisiana. The lake is named after the Southeastern culture of Native Americans called Caddo or Caddoans, who lived in the area from the 16th century until thier expulsion in the 19th century. It is an Internationally protected wet land under the RAMSAR treaty and is the largest natural fresh water lake in Texas, and the largest Cypress forest in the world.

Formation

According to Caddo legend, the lake was formed by the 1811 New Madrid Earthquake. There may be some truth to the legend, as Reelfoot Lake in Tennessee was formed by that earthquake, but most geologists now feel that Caddo Lake was formed gradually rather than catastrophically. The lake was formed, either gradually or catastrophically, by the "Great Raft" a 100 mile (160 km) log jam on the Red River in Louisiana.

Related Topics:
Caddo - 1811 - New Madrid Earthquake - Reelfoot Lake - Tennessee - Earthquake - Great Raft - Log jam - Red River

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