ABSTRACT
The highest lands of the deltaic plain lie closest to moving freshwater, precisely the opposite of undulating landscapes, in which water carves downward and flows in the lowest areas. Springtime overflows of the Mississippi River and its distributaries explain this phenomenon, as sediment particles borne by the floodwaters settle on the landscape according to their size and weight. Rich alluvial soils and a subtropical climate fostered verdant flora and abundant fauna on the deltaic plain. Along the river grew dense bamboo-like reeds, which fronted jungle-like forests of live oaks and other hardwoods atop the natural levee. The natural levees of the Mississippi River are not the only high ridges on the deltaic plain. Now and then, crevasses would develop in certain weak spots in these features, sending streams of river water flowing into the backswamp. These "distributaries," like the main channel, also deposited sediment along their banks.
