Louisiana Purchase Cypress Legacy

Possibly Largest/Oldest  St. James Parish Cypress

Discovered on Blind River 

N30 06.112 W090 43.629-- about a ten minute paddle upriver (north) from Hwy. 61 boat launch --right bank

St James Parish, heavily forested with cypress tupelo habitat, has until recently eluded recognition  of its remaining old growth cypress. A recent paddling foray on the Blind River , north of Hwy. 61,  (not visited for several decades) revealed a good number of old growth cypress near the Hwy. 61 launch.  The cypress pictured above appears to be the largest and possibly oldest so far discovered along the Blind River. Although we were not able to access the tree due to high water, its circumference appeared to be 16+ feet above the buttress, and the trunk retained much of this thickness up into the canopy—good signs of a very old cypress. We’ll update you on circumference measurements and tree boring sample ring counts  for this tree

Several other old growth cypress are visible within a short paddle from the Hwy 61 canoe launch. Old growth is also evident on the downstream (south ) side from the Hwy 61 bridge. 

Marker B: (See Photo above)

Old growth cypress on Blind River

Locations of old growth on Blind River near Boat launch:

N30 06.141 W090 43.598

N30 06.270 W090 43.277

N30 06.366 W090 43.429 (Tchackehou Bayou)

N30 06.385 W090 45.518 (downriver from Boat Launch)

N30 06.215 W090 45.427 (downriver from Boat Launch)

These old growth sites and likely other yet to be assessed locations on the Blind River bode well for including the Blind River in a registry of Old Growth Cypress paddle trails. If you know of other likely St. James Parish candidates for La Purchase Cypress Legacy landmarking, please let us know!