|
Lake Pontchartrain
|
Lake Pontchartrain technically isn't a lake at all. In scientific circles, it's referred to as an estuary. That's really just a fancy way to say that it's a coastal body of water that either has an open connection, or is somehow connected to a sea. Lake Pontchartrain is bound by land, but one side is a marsh, which connects it to the Gulf of Mexico. It is considered a salt lake, though on the Northern edge of the lake, the levels of salinity barely register where rivers flow into the lake. The salinity levels increase as one travels in the direction of the Gulf - the highest levels are about half that of the sea water in the Gulf. Because it is connected to the Gulf, there are tidal changes daily.
A nearby fresh water lake, Lake Mauripas, is connected to the west side of Lake Pontchartrain by way of Pass Manchac. In addition, the Mississippi River taps into the Lake through the Industrial Canal at New Orleans. Besides the Ole Miss, there are five other rivers and two bayou ... (read more about Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana)
|
