This article is about a water landform. For other uses, see Bayou (disambiguation)

Big Cypress Bayou in Jefferson, Texas off U.S. Route 59. US Route 59 is a north-south United States highway (though it is signed east-west in parts of Texas)

A bayou at the Sabine River at the Louisiana rest stop. Sabine River may refer to Sabine River (Texas-Louisiana, USA Sabine River New Zealand The State of Louisiana ( or, État de Louisiane, pronounced) is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America

A bayou (pronounced [ˈbaɪ oʊ] or [ˈbaɪ uː]) is a small, slow-moving stream or creek, or a lake or pool (bayou lake) that lies in an abandoned channel of a stream. A stream is a body of Water with a current, confined within a bed and stream-banks Bayous are usually located in relatively flat, low-lying areas, for example, in the Mississippi River delta region of the southern United States. The Mississippi River is the second longest River in the United States, with a length of from its source in Lake Itasca in Minnesota to A delta is a Landform where the mouth of a River flows into an Ocean, Sea, Estuary, Lake or another river The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A bayou is frequently a slackwater anabranch or minor braid of a braided channel, that is moving with less velocity than the mainstem. An anabranch is a section of a River or Stream that diverts from the main Watercourse channel (or mainstem) and rejoins the mainstem downstream Not to be confused with the River Braid Ballymena, Northern Ireland. A mainstem is defined as the principal River within a given Drainage basin, in the case where a number of tributaries discharge into a larger Watercourse Many bayous are the home of crawfish, certain species of shrimp, other shellfish, and catfish. Crayfish, crawfish, crawdads, or crodgers are freshwater Crustaceans resembling small Lobsters to which they are closely True shrimp are swimming decapod Crustaceans classified in the Infraorder Caridea, found widely around the world in both fresh Shellfish is a Culinary and Fisheries term for those aquatic Invertebrate animals that are used as Food: various species of molluscs Catfish ( order Siluriformes) are a very diverse group of bony Fish.

The word was first used by the English in Louisiana and is thought to originate from the Choctaw word bayuk, which means "small stream. The English people (from the adjective in Englisc) are a Nation and Ethnic group native to England who predominantly speak English The State of Louisiana ( or, État de Louisiane, pronounced) is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America The Choctaw are a Native American people originally from the Southeastern United States ( Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana) " The first settlements of Acadians in southern Louisiana were near Bayou Lafourche and Bayou des Ecores, which led to a close association of the bayou with Cajun culture. This article is about the Acadian people and culture The Acadians (Acadiens are the descendants of the seventeenth-century French Bayou Lafourche is a Bayou in southeastern Louisiana, United States, that flows into the Gulf of Mexico. Cajuns ('keʒən les Cadiens are an Ethnic group mainly living in Louisiana, consisting of the descendants of Acadian exiles and peoples of other

Bayou Country is most closely associated with Cajun and Creole cultural groups native to the Gulf Coast region generally stretching from Houston, Texas, to Mobile, Alabama, with its center in New Orleans, Louisiana. Cajuns ('keʒən les Cadiens are an Ethnic group mainly living in Louisiana, consisting of the descendants of Acadian exiles and peoples of other This article is about an ethnic culture in Louisiana USA For uses of the term "Creole" in other countries and cultures see Creole (disambiguation. The Gulf Coast region of the United States comprises the coasts of states which border the Gulf of Mexico. Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State. New Orleans (nʲuːˈɔrliənz nʲuːˈɔrlənz French: La Nouvelle-Orléans) is a major United States port city and the largest city in Louisiana

An alternate spelling "buyou" has also been used, as in the "Pine Buyou" used in a description by Congress in 1833 of Arkansas Territory.

Houston is known as the "Bayou City," primarily because of the expansive, muddy, miles-long Buffalo Bayou that twists and turns its way through the fourth-largest city in the United States. Buffalo Bayou is a main waterway flowing through Houston, in Harris County Texas, USA. Other major bayous in Houston include Brays Bayou, Sims Bayou, White Oak Bayou, and Greens Bayou. The Brays Bayou watershed which drains approximately 128 square miles (33152 hectares/332 White Oak Bayou is one of the several waterways that give Houston, Texas, its popular nickname "The Bayou City

Bayous are many times the settings of horror movies since they are commonly seen as quite spooky and mysterious. With the trees and unknown creatures that lurk in the murky waters, it creates a sense of suspense. Some famous horror movies that are associated or take place in bayous include The Skeleton Key, Hatchet, and The Reaping. The Skeleton Key is a 2005 horror - suspense film released in the UK on 22 July and in the USA on August 12 Hatchet is a 2007 Slasher film from Ariescope Pictures and directed by Adam Green. The Reaping is an American, Religion -themed Horror film based on the Ten Plagues of Egypt, released on April 5, 2007

See also

The term “bayou” is also a derogatory term used to describe someone who is from the bayou. Similar to how white trash is used to describe someone from a trailer park.

Buffalo Bayou in Houston, USA

• Wetland
• Slough
• Swamp
• Hurricane on the Bayou

Famous bayous

• Bayou Bartholomew
• Bayou Lafourche
• Buffalo Bayou
• Cypress Bayou
• Devil's Bayou (fictional)
• Big Bayou Canot