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.

Preservation efforts

In 1993 Caddo Lake preservation entered a renaissance, with the announcement that 7,000 acres (28 km²) of Caddo purchased by the Nature Conservancy were to be merged with the 483 acre (2 km²) Texas Caddo Lake State Park to be become the Caddo Lake State Park and Wildlife Management Area. In October 1993 Caddo Lake became one of thirteen areas in the United States protected by the Ramsar Treaty. As of 2003 Caddo Lake flora and fauna consisted of: 189 species of trees and shrubs, 75 grasses, 42 woody vines, 216 kinds of birds, 90 fish and reptiles, and 47 mammals. One of these species, Crataegus opaca or mayhaw fruit is collected from the water to make a jelly that is considered one of the finest in the world. Forty four of Caddo's native species were either endangered, threatened or rare. From 2001 until 2003 Caddo Lake residents fought a legal battle with the City of Marshall, Texas over water rights.

Related Topics:
1993 - Acres - Caddo Lake State Park and Wildlife Management Area - United States - Ramsar Treaty - 2003 - Flora - Fauna - Species - Trees - Shrubs - Grasses - Woody vines - Birds - Fish - Reptiles - Mammals - Crataegus opaca - Mayhaw - Endangered - Threatened - Rare - Marshall, Texas

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Voices advocating preservation of Lake Caddo included rocker Don Henley, former frontman for The Eagles.

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