Louisiana Purchase Cypress Legacy

 Union Parish's Scenic Streams  a Treasure Trove of Ancient Cypress

North Louisiana's bounty of old growth cypress was on full display last October as the LPCL returned to Union Parish after several year's absence.  Corney Bayou, one of Louisiana's designated scenic streams, was our first stop. 

                               Bayou Corney-- Union Parish-- east of Barnes Bridge Road access

Plentiful older growth cypress near Barnes Bridge Road access south of Spearsville. Here are the details on the tree pictured above: 

Circumference 14'6"

Boring: 4.18"  Rings counted: Approx. 91

Projected age: 520+ years

 A bit further upstream from this venerable old cypress is another ancient  cypress, pictured below 

Here are the details for this Corney Bayou beauty:

GPS: 32.8788582  -92.5898254  Access at Barnes Bridge Road (north side) south of  Spearville

Click here for the map 

Circumference: 14'10" above buttress

Preliminary Projected age: 400+ years (boring not yet taken due to low water level precluding access to trunk)

LPCL Plaque # 85

Thanks to Stephanie Hermann and LPCL Board member John Michael Kelley for taking the lead to register and place plaque #85 on this Corney Bayou landmark!

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Eagle Lake,  D'Arbonne National Wildlife Refuge

A perfect October autumn day brought the LPLC and the Union Parish "Swamp Rabbits" paddling club into the D'Arbonne NWR, where trip leader Steven Birmingham knew of a particular cypress he wanted us to landmark. This tree, pictured below,  proved to be an exemplary specimen in its grandeur, girth, and age.

Details of Eagle Lake Tree

Click here for map

Circumference: 25'3" Diameter: 96"

First boring 7.8"  Rings counted:  Approximately 220

Second boring : 5" Rings counted: Approximately 175

Projected Age: 1100+ years.  This is a conservative estimate taking into account likely faster rate of growth (wider separation of rings) in hollow inner area of tree (young growth) excluded from boring sample-- see photo below.

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"Big Foote Tree"-- Bayou de Loutre

 Our union Parish big cypress treasure hunt culminated on Bayou De L'outre  when local resident and part time guide Sherman Foote took us into the far reaches of Bayou se Loutre to a truely impressive cypress, which proved to be easily as old as it appears. 

                        GPS:  32.7062539  -92.1655726

                         click here for map   

                   

                        Circumference 42', Diameter 160", Radius 80"

                        First boring 3.25"  Rings counted: Approx.105

                        Second boring 3.5" Rings counted: Approx.104

                        Third boring: 3".     Rings counted: Approx 53

                        Projected age 1300+ years If the third boring ring count is an "outlier", than the                          projected age could be much older. Regardless, this is a conservative estimate.

Boring #2 from "Big Foote Tree"

Sherman Foote next to towering "Big Foote" cypress knee

                                      Massive girth reflected in 42 Foot circumference

Many thanks to Sherman Foote for enabling the LPCL to landmark this remarkable cypress. He'll be placing LPCL Plaque #87 on his namesake Big Foote tree once water level on Bayou de Loutre is high enough to have plaque placed high enough on trunk to deter its submergence during any future flood stage.

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Upper Ouchita National Wildlife Refuge

We concluded our Union Parish visit with a trip to the Upper Ouchita National Wildlife Refuge, where yet another champion size and age cypress embodies North Louisiana's natural heritage-- likely alive at least two hundred years before the Louisiana Purchase

GPS 32.9069210 -92.1039900

Click here for map

Circumference: 25'3"

Projected Age: Conservatively 400+ years

Stephanie Hermann points out location of LPCL registered cypress on the Ouachita River in the Upper Ouachita National Wildlife Refuge. This tree is easily visible from the Refuge access road.

 

Stephanie Hermann, LPCL Board member Grace Hill in front of Ouchita cypress with LPCL plaque #88

One of several informational kiosks created by Stephanie Hermann highlighting the natural and cultural heritage of Union Parish--this one is in the Upper Ouchita NWR near the site of the LPCL landmarked cypress

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    The Secrets of the Cypress

Backwater in the swamps, 

Lies a gothic labyrinth land.

On tannin stained bayous;

The secret keeper quietly stands.

Down deep in the murky mud 

Are mysteries as dark as the stream;

Sunk below the jagged stumps. 

Buried stories never to be seen;

Time simmers in the stillness

Silenced by the ghostly trees; 

One gentle giant is among them

The guardian of treasured memories  

A majestic turret of columns 

This towering slate legend adorned. 

With menacing ominous gargoyles

And ghoulish trolls to forewarn.  

Nestled here is the curator of secrets

A library in a cathedral of tales.

Stories of triumphs and disaster 

Joyful laughter and sorrowful wails. 

Of war

Of famine,

Of peace,

Of feast.

Of life,

Of death;

Of love

Of curiosity.

Kept are the symbols of native tribes,

The journals of exploring conquistadors. 

Letters from homestead settler outposts

Diaries of weary battled soldiers from war. 

Fishing fables that floated downstream ;

Creature sagas who sheltered beneath. 

All nestled in the great granddaddy hollow 

of this 500 year old cypress tree. 

Those who venture this way 

With secrets alive and well…

Leave your heavy burdens here;

The tree will never tell.  

Stephanie Antley Herrmann, 2023