Glossary Of Delta Regional Terms

Delta - Not a "delta" in the geographic sense, in our region, the term denotes the flat floodplain shared by the Mississippi River to the west and the Yazoo River to the east.

Bayou - Slow-moving streams of Mississippi Delta, southeast Texas, Louisiana and southern Alabama

Bogue - Relatively large mostly slow moving streams in southern Louisiana, Mississippi Delta & southern Alabama

Deadenings - Term used mostly in late 19th and early 20th century to designate recently cleared land characterized by numerous stumps and dead standing trees. Trees were girdled to kill them, and crops planted around the dead trees. Eventually the trees were burned out and stumps pulled up and burned.

Slough - A low place (also sometimes called “swags”)

Oxbow Lake - lakes formed by stream meander course shifts

Bottom - low places that collect seasonal water, usually forested in Delta

Flats - areas of level topography

Slackwater - low areas that retain water after floods.

Shrubswamp - wetland dominated by shrubs and small trees (buttonbush, swamp privet, water elm, hibiscus)

Levee - Elevated berms used as flood-control structures.

Swamp - forested wetland with long or permanent peraquic hydroperiod.

Barpit (from "borrow pit ") - excavated areas usually filled with water; soil used for road or levee construction.

Chutes - old river courses that have been cut off from the main flow but remain hydrologically connected to the river system

Meander – The snake-like pattern typical of old stream systems

Cuts – these are the sides of river meanders where cutting forces by water are greatest.

Point Bars – these are formed on the opposite sides of meander cuts; Characterized by deposition of sand, silt and gravel.

Shoals – Narrow, shallow areas in stream courses characterized by deposition of sand, silt and gravel.


Please cite this document as:

Faulkner, S.P. 2003. Major ecosystems and habitats of Mississippi.
Handout, Department of Biological Sciences, Delta State University,
12 pp.